Harry and the Founding of Happiness
by teddylonglong
Summary: Little Harry asks Santa to take him to someone who loves him. Will Harry be able to find a home in the magical world? Time travel to the Founders' time and back to modern time's Hogwarts! Partly childfic, partly OOC, Completely AU! Abuse!Dursleys.
1. A Wish to Santa

**Harry and the Founding of Happiness by teddylonglong**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing! _

_Old English used in this chapter will be explained at the bottom. Please note that I'm not an expert of old English, neither a native speaker of English. Therefore, please excuse any mistakes you may find. Don't worry; the amount of old English used in this chapter won't continue!  
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**1 – A Wish to Santa**

A small child of nearly two and a half years was lying awake in a dark cupboard in a very normal house in a boringly normal neighbourhood of Privet Drive. The child had no family. He merely existed in said cupboard and was only let out to get his nappy changed twice a week, provided that the woman, who was his aunt but was from a different world, remembered to change it.

At the moment, the boy was dressed in clothes that were easily two sizes too big and wearing a full nappy. He was cold, thirsty, and his stomach was growling from hunger while he was taking in the exciting sounds outside the small door of his cupboard, where the Dursleys were happily preparing their house for Christmas with their son, Dudley.

The little boy had heard enough to know that on Christmas – whatever that was – someone called Santa would visit good boys and girls and bring them the presents they asked for. He knew that he wouldn't get a present since his aunt and uncle always reminded him of what a freak and a nuisance he was, and a child who nobody wanted to claim. The Dursleys had taught him as much, and the child, eager to learn everything he was taught, remembered that lesson very well. No wonder he remembered it as well as he had; it was the only thing his supposed family had seen fit to teach him.

'_I know that I won't get a present 'cause I'm not a good boy,_' he thought sadly while his eyes slowly drooped and he fell into a much needed nap.

A few minutes after falling asleep, he had a strange dream, but not unfamiliar to the small boy. He often dreamed, and it was always the same dream that upset him very much. There was a woman in the dream that had beautiful green eyes and red hair, and the boy didn't know why but he just knew for sure that that woman loved him. In this dream, he could hear a lot of screaming, and then an unfriendly man with red eyes entered the room to drown the room in bright flashes of green light. When the scary man was finally gone, the nice lady lay on the ground and wasn't moving any longer, and he was all on his own with a sharp pain in his forehead. The little boy couldn't help screaming from the terror of the scene he witnessed in his dream and cried out, unfortunately causing the man, who lived in the house as well, to fling the cupboard door open, grab him roughly, shake him and shout at him before he shoved him back onto the dirty blankets that were supposed to be his bed.

"You will go without dinner for making such a racket and maybe you will learn not to do it again. It's enough of a nuisance having a freak like you around without being forced to listen to it. Now shut up, you unworthy little brat."

The boy unconsciously backed up into the corner as far away from the scary man as he could, glad when the door of the cupboard was slammed shut once again. Feeling very sorry for himself even if he had learned from the large man that he earned everything he received, the small boy silently began to make a wish to Santa. '_Santa, I know that you won't bring me a present, because I'm not a good boy and I don't earn one, but_ _I so much wish I had someone who liked me. Someone, who gave me something to eat and drink to make my belly not hurt so much, someone to make my achy nappy go away. Santa, please can you make me happy?_' he thought urgently.

Unnoticed to the other inhabitants of the fairly normal house, the interior of the small cupboard under the stairs suddenly flared in light rainbow colours, and when the whirling air had cleared up again, the cupboard was void any living beings except for a spider that had been a little boy's best friend for several months.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The little boy cowered on his small mattress when suddenly the whole room lit up with many colours. He anxiously squeezed his eyes shut and rolled himself up into a ball as best he could. However, suddenly everything started to spin and turn around endlessly. '_Why am I turning around? I feel so sick, and it won't stop! Am I going to die?_' he thought panicking, when suddenly the motion stopped and he fell down onto a really soft mattress. However, not only the air around him but also the mattress felt very cold to the touch, and the little boy shivered even more. '_What happened? Is it because I wished to Santa that I was put out in the cold to die?_' he mused terrified, longing to be back in his familiar cupboard.

Unfortunately, the small boy wasn't able to walk or crawl yet since in his cupboard it had been sufficient to rob him of the ability to move around freely. So, he tried to turn onto his still achy stomach in order to get a glance at his surroundings; however, the fluffy mattress blocked his movements, so that he wasn't able to turn around. After exerting a great deal of effort he could only give up and lie down in his cold new bed tiredly, quietly sobbing himself into an uncomfortable and restless sleep, not aware of the fact that it wasn't only his tears making him wet and cold.

お城の中では

At the same time, four friends were sitting around a huge fireplace in a very comfortable circular stone room that was not only lit and warmed by the fire but also by hundreds of flickering torches. The walls throughout the room were decorated with beautiful life-sized paintings situated around the room.

"It has snowed so much that we should allow the students to have a snowman building contest right after breakfast tomorrow," one of the men spoke up.

"That is a brilliant idea, Godric," one of the women replied. "We should think of three prizes that we can award the winners."

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed through the room. "What was that?" the other woman enquired.

"That, Helga, was the sound alerting me to the fact that someone just breeched the wards at the Hogsmeade side of the castle," the man named Godric replied firmly. "We should go out and have a look. Salazar, shalt thou accompany me?"

The other man returned a short nod and quickly got to his feet, following Godric out of the castle. Just down the steps in front of the huge entrance doors they found "A lytling!" Godric shouted unbelievingly.

"But look! It is half naked here in the snow; that will acwellan the poor lytling. Let me see if it is still alive." Salazar quickly cowered down next to the child, noticing that the child flinched back badly at the touch and anxiously opened his eyelids, revealing brilliant green eyes. "Oh, what's wrong with thee, lytling?" he asked in a slightly brisk voice that was normal for the tall man.

'_Oh, such a nice person; I don't know him but his voice sounds so nice and soft,_' the small boy thought, biting his lower lip with the few teeth he had as he noticed that it suppressed his body's shivering just a little.

"Now, Salazar, pick the lytling up and let us take it inside," Godric told his friend and colleague impatiently before he followed the man with the baby, who strode back into the headmaster's office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, barking at all of the students they met to get out of the way.

"What art thou carrying there?" one of the women enquired incredulously.

"That is a lytling, Rowena," her friend Helga answered briskly. "Moreover, it is a half naked lytling. Salazar, please give him to me."

Salazar quickly gave the obviously frightened child to Helga, who was the active hælend in the castle and was probably predestined to look after a baby. "Hey, little one," she called out to the child in a soothing voice, trying to help the child stand on her lap. "What's wrong with thee? Canst thou not stand yet?" she asked softly, frowning when the boy slightly shook his head and sat him down on her lap so that she could look in his face.

'_That lady sounds very nice, I like her very much. Oh, I hope so much that I can stay with kind people like her_,' the child frantically thought, and a small smile played on his lips when he gave the nice lady a hesitant glance. '_She also looks nice, a bit like the woman in my dream with the red hair, but a bit bigger,_' he suddenly realized.

"Now, who are you, leofost?" the kind lady asked again. "Canst thou tell me your name?"

The small boy anxiously shook his head. '_It is either boy or freak, but I'm really not sure. The woman always called me 'boy' and the man said 'freak'_,' he thought, unsure how to react.

"What do people call thee normally?" the other lady, Rowena, asked in an equally friendly voice.

"Freak," the child answered in a very small voice that even Helga could only guess.

"I am sorry, leofost, I did not catch that exactly, canst thou please repeat it?" Helga requested gently.

"Freak ow Boy," the child replied softly, slightly flinching at the quadruple gasp to his answer.

"Where are thy parents, lufu?" Rowena asked this time.

The boy sadly shook his head. '_What is parents?_' he thought anxiously, giving the nice lady a frightened glance before he let out a series of sneezes.

"Now, the leofost is apparently frightened, half naked and cold. Godric, canst thou conjure clothes for him, please?" Helga asked her colleague, while she magically exchanged the boy's nappy and observed flabbergasted that tears started to well in the boy's eyes when his nappy was removed and the air hit his skin. "Wait, leofost, what's wrong? Does it hurt when I open thy nappy?" she asked softly, receiving a hesitant nod from the child. "All right, then may I touch thee and have a look under thy nappy?" she asked firmly, waiting for the confirming nod before she opened the nappy, seeing that the child had a bad rush on his bottom. "Oh, you poor leofost," she cooed horrified at the neglect the child had obviously endured. She quickly waved her wand over him to check on him.

"The lytling is two years, four months and twenty-three days old; however he is a bit too small for his age and only weights about half of what a lytling the same age should be," Helga told her colleagues, only to add, "He has bruises and welts all over his body and is running a fever, probably from being out in the snow half naked. He will at least get a bad cold if not worse." She carefully wrapped the child into a warm blanket that Godric had conjured and ordered Salazar to go and brew a few potions that could be used for a two-year-old.

Finally, Rowena pointed her wand at the child, casting a personality Charm, which made a small parchment emerge from the tip of her wand. Looking at the parchment she let out a huge gasp. "The little lufu's name is Harry James Potter, and his birthday is…" She incredulously threw another glance at the parchment, and recast the spell again, before she continued, "July 31st, 1980."

"His birthday is when?" Godric gasped. "He was born exactly a thousand years in the future? No offense, Rowena, but art thou sure?"

Rowena showed him the parchment. "Yes, I am sure, and before thou ask, Godric, the Charm is fool proof and accurate as I invented it myself."

"Maybe he is an heir of mine," Godric mused aloud, forcing Rowena to roll her eyes, obviously annoyed, at the man. "Who knows, but perhaps we could…" he started to suggest a method to find out but was interrupted strictly.

"No, thou wilt do no such thing. The leofost, sorry, Harry is his name, right? He is malnourished and seoc, and I shant allow thee to take even one drop of blood from him tonight."

"What if he is a Muggle?" Godric insisted but was immediately overruled by the two women.

"He has a golden Aura," Helga replied firmly.

"So he must be a very powerful wizard," Rowena concluded. "Moreover, how could he have breeched our wards if he was a Muggle?"

"All right, thou art right as usual," Godric admitted. "Oyez, I'm going to bed. What art ye going to do with the little lytling?"

Rowena gave Helga an expectant look, and the Healer replied pensively, "I should put him into the legerbedd, but the fact is I don't want him to spend the night on his own. He is too small, so I shall take him with me and enlarge our bed a little."

Harry couldn't believe his luck. '_The nice lady is taking me with her,_' he thought delighted, giving Helga a huge smile.

"I believe that would be the best; he looks as if he was in dire need of lufuian and attention. But won't Salazar mind?" Rowena commented thoughtfully.

"If he minds, he can choose if he wants to sleep in the legerbedd or in the dungeons," Helga replied firmly. "He will be occupied making a hælan salve for the little lytling for the next few hours anyway. Good night, Rowena, Godric," she concluded the discussion and headed for her and her husband Salazar's quarters that were on the castle's second floor next to the legerbedd room.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry woke up in the morning, he felt much better than he could ever remember feeling. Unnoticed by the child, Helga had spent a great deal of time during the night spelling hælan potions and nutrient potions straight into his stomach and smearing a hælan salve on his bruised skin as well as on the rash on his bottom. He carefully pushed himself into a sitting position, finding himself in a huge bed between the nice lady Helga and the tall man Salazar. A thick silver-gold curtain was drawn around the bed.

His movement caused the nice lady to wake up. She immediately turned to him and questioned, "How art thou feeling leofost? Did thou have a good sleep?"

Harry gave her a shy look and replied in a small voice, "Ye, fanku."

"I'm going to touch thee, leofost, I won't hurt thee, all right?"

Harry slightly nodded his head, quietly trying to calm himself. '_It's all right, she won't hurt me; she let me sleep in her bed and made me feel so much better. I must let her touch me._'

Helga put a cold hand on his forehead, and Harry sighed contentedly, unconsciously leaning into the touch. '_Oh, that feels good,_' he thought gratefully until he was pulled out of his thoughts by the nice lady.

"Thou art seoc because of being out in the snow half naked yesterday. But apart from that I assume that thou art feeling better than before, is that so, leofost?"

Harry gave her a thankful nod and hesitantly replied, "Ye, fanku. Much bettew."

Helga smiled seeing how the small child tried to overcome his anxiousness and spoke to her, even if he was speaking in a manner a child at least half a year younger spoke. She sighed and took a potion from her night table, which she held to Harry's lips. "It won't taste nice but drink it up, leofost; it will make thee better," she told him firmly.

'_It has a strange green colour. What is it?_' Harry thought anxiously and carefully took a small sip. '_Oh yuckie!_' he thought, a disgusted expression spreading over his little face until he heard Helga chuckle.

"Thou cannot expect potions to taste better but thou art a big lytling, aren't thou?"

The phial wouldn't dodge from his lips, so Harry didn't have a choice and quickly gulped down the 'yucky green liquid', noticing that he suddenly his body didn't hurt anymore. '_Strange – nothing hurts,_' he mused, amazed.

"Art thou feeling well enough to accompany me to the Great Hall for breakfast?" Helga once more pulled him out of his thoughts.

Harry gave her an uncertain glance. '_Maybe she doesn't know that I'm not allowed to have breakfast. Only good boys do, and I'm not a good boy,_' he thought frightened.

"What's wrong? If thou feel too seoc, thou may stay in bed of course if you do," Helga assured him in a soft voice, giving him a piercing look.

Harry shook his head. "No, am fine. But not 'loud bwekas, onwy good boys. I fweak, no goo."

Helga let out a huge gasp, while suddenly Salazar growled from Harry's other side, "Whoever told thou that is a manfordædla and should be hexed into my personal lab so that I can their limbs as potion ingredients. Thou art a fine lytling, Harry. Thou art not a freak."

"Exactly, thou art a cute little lytling, leofost. So do you want to come?"

Harry gave the lady an excited glance. '_Of course I want to go with them,_' he thought delighted and held up both arms to be carried.

"As soon as thou art recovered, I will teach thou to walk, leofost," Helga told him while she scooped him up into her arms, heading for the door.

'_She's going to teach me to walk._' Harry couldn't believe his luck. '_I'd love to walk around; this place is huge, and there are pictures all over the walls __with real people in them,_' he thought amazed, looking over Helga's shoulder. He was even more amazed when they entered the Great Hall, where Helga put him into a child's seat between her and the other lady, Rowena, who explained to him that the ceiling was charmed to look like the sky. Harry listened intensely, and his eyes followed the lady's finger up to the ceiling, which the child admired in awe.

"Oyez, are we going to do the snowman contest on this fine morning?" Godric asked, suddenly standing behind Helga and Salazar.

"Let us do it tomorrow," Helga replied firmly. "Harry has a respiratory infection and I cannot let him go out in the snow today, but I hope he will be better tomorrow, and instead we can do a bit of research to find out who he is."

"All right," Godric agreed immediately and turned to Harry, "Hello little leo. Everything all right there?"

"Yes," Harry whispered, totally in awe at the friendly man's long and curly red hair. He hesitantly extended a hand, giggling happily when the man bowed down a little so that the child could reach his locks.

"Now, shall I take thee up to my office? Thou want to see my birdie, Fawkes? He was on an errand yesterday so that you missed him, but I can tell thee he is funny."

Harry gave Helga a short glance and, receiving a comforting nod from the nice lady, he lifted his arms up so that Godric could scoop him up onto his arms. The man carried him up the marble staircase, carefully bouncing him playfully on the way up the stairs gaining happy laughter from Harry, to the Gargoyle that warded the headmaster's office. The gargoyle dodged immediately when the headmaster came into sight. Godric handed the child to his wife, who had been on his heals together along with Helga and Salazar. Rowena sat down on the sofa and put Harry next to her with his head on her lap.

Harry suddenly heard a trilling voice. #Oh, a nestling from far away I can see. What is he doing here? I thought only bigger chicks from the age of eleven were allowed to stay here in the castle.#

Harry urgently tried to sit up. '_What's that? Am I not allowed to be here because I'm too small?_' he thought terrified, and his eyes filled with tears, that threatened to spill out of his eyes at any second.

"Now, lufu, it's all right. What is upsetting thou so much?" Rowena asked softly, pushing Harry back into his lying position on her lap.

"Bawdy say Hawwy no 'loud tay hewe," Harry told her in a very small voice, tear stricken green eyes looking up into the woman's brown eyes.

"Halt, little leo, thou canst understand what Fawkes said?" Godric asked astonished and – receiving a small nod from Harry – continued, "That's strange. Normally only I can understand him because he is my familiar, but Fawkes has a very bad mouth and thou better not listen to him, little leo."

#The nestling can understand me because I will be his familiar many egg turns into the future.# Fawkes explained, causing Harry to turn to the side in order to catch a look on the bad-mouthed bird.

However, to his astonishment Harry saw a beautiful phoenix sitting on a perch next to the headmaster's desk. In the meantime, Godric had prepared a huge parchment on his desk that was void any writings. "Oyez, can we proceed? Salazar, do thou have the potion?" Receiving a phial from his tall friend, he handed it to Helga. "We need three drops of his blood please."

While Helga magically took three drops of blood of Harry's arm, Rowena talked to Harry, softly stroking his flushed cheeks and forehead so that the child didn't notice anything. Suddenly, she let out a gasp. "Helga, have thou seen that scar? What's wrong with it?"

Helga looked up to her friend and sighed. She had spent hours smearing Salazar's healing salve onto the many scars and bruises the child had, especially on the scar on his forehead, but it had been resistant to all kinds of treatment. "I don't know what it is, Rowena, but it won't go away with anything," she explained sadly.

"Ah, I remember something," Rowena said thoughtfully. "A few weeks ago, I had a strange vision about a very special child, the sole heir of all four of us fighting against an heir of Helga and Salazar, and that child had a scar exactly like that one. I shall put the vision into my Pensieve, so thou may watch it later on."

"We shall definitely do that afterwards," Godric stated and took back the phial, effectively turning back everyone's attention back to the task ahead. After carefully shaking it a few times, he cautiously dropped three drops of the now dark blue liquid in each corner of the huge parchment. While Harry had been lured to sleep by Rowena's cuddling, the four founders of Hogwarts watched interestedly at the many thin lines that appeared on the parchment, each leading to small spots with names underneath.

Suddenly, Rowena was the first to let out a huge gasp. "He is indeed the heir, and the first heir of all of us. Look, the line from Godric and me goes straight to his father James, while the line from Helga and Salazar goes to his mother Lily, even though the line is interrupted by a huge number of Squibs."

"Thou art right, Rowena," Godric agreed immediately. "Harry is a very special child."

"And look here," Salazar pointed out. "That must be the other heir of us against whom he is destined to fight, 'Tom Riddle.' Riddle? That sounds like a Muggle name, not like a worthy heir of mine," he added, shaking his head.

Rowena quickly called Spotty, one of the House elves, and asked the elf kindly to retrieve her Pensieve, which popped up on the table only seconds later. After making sure that Harry was still peacefully asleep, the four founders watched Rowena's visions concerning Harry, a prophecy, completely unnecessary deaths, and a young man cleansing the world of all evil.

"All right," Godric spoke up determinedly when they emerged from the Pensieve. "We shall train the lytling and send him back to the future when he is eleven and ready to attend Hogwarts. In the meantime we can think of a way to help him win his fight." He then smirked, glancing at Rowena. "I believe, my beautiful lady, thou and I have another task to finish so that this sweet lytling will be born in nine hundred and ninety-seven years. Come with me; I'm sure Helga, Salazar, and Harry will excuse us for a moment."

_TBC… _

**Old English used in this chapter:  
**legerbedd - sick bed  
leofost - dearest  
lufian - love  
lufu - love  
lytling - child  
manfordædla - evil doer  
hælan - heal  
hælend - healer  
seoc - sick

_You can find a chapter graphic on my Yahoo Newsgroup page!_


	2. First Steps in Happiness

**2 – First Steps in Happiness**

The next day, the snowman building contest they had originally planned for the day before took place. Although Helga had told Harry that morning that it was Christmas day, to Harry's great astonishment there was no Christmas tree like the one at the Dursleys that he had caught a glimpse of when he was being carried up the stairs to get his nappy changed. '_It's strange. When is Santa going to come and bring presents to the students? They surely must be good boys and girls to go to such a great school,_' Harry thought with some confusion. However, he still was not comfortable enough with his new situation to ask and the fact that he had travelled nearly a thousand years into the past where people still didn't know what a Christmas trees was or a present bringing Santa confused Harry tremendously.

He was much more alert today than the day before, and at breakfast, he even hesitantly talked to the five students that had remained in the castle during the holidays. The two girls introduced themselves as Elfrieda from Hufflepuff and Hildred from Ravenclaw. The three boys were Aldwin and Osmond from Slytherin, and Leofric from Gryffindor. "Whats it mean to be 'from Gyffow'?" Harry asked softly, giving Rowena, who was sitting on his left side, an enquiring look.

"We have so many students that we cannot look after all of them at the same time. Therefore, we have divided them into four Houses, and each House has the family name of the person whom is responsible for it," Rowena explained patiently, while Helga unsuccessfully tried to feed Harry some more of his breakfast.

When everyone had finished their breakfast, Helga conjured a warm snowsuit for Harry, wrapping the child into it before she cast an additional warming Charm on the suit and took him outside into the snow, where she sat him down. Harry looked around and watched the students and teachers build snowmen, happily gripping the nice, white mass in his small fingers. '_I like snow,_' he thought. '_It's very nice. But it's a bit cold on my hands; how come I'm not cold?_' he wondered astonished and looked pleased at his warm outfit. The snowsuit was white and was decorated with little dragons in different colours that opened their mouths to make roaring sounds from time to time.

Harry giggled. '_That's funny,_' he thought happily as he rubbed one of the dragon's head. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and thought back to his cupboard and how he had managed to get here, where ever here was. '_Dear Santa, thank you so much for helping me. I am the happiest boy in the whole wide world now. And whenever you need my help, just call me. This is the bestest Christmas ever,_' he thought gratefully.

Too soon, it became boring just sitting in the same spot not being able to move anywhere, and Harry let himself fall onto his hands and somehow managed to crawl his way through the snow to Rowena and Helga, who were making a sculpture of Harry only a few steps from where Harry had been sitting. The two women showered him with praise, commending the child for learning to crawl so fast. '_I managed to crawl,_' Harry thought delighted. '_I can move myself wherever I want to now_.'

Due to the exertion of crawling for the first time, moreover in the snow, Harry's eyes drooped closed, and he fell asleep quickly. Rowena quickly picked him up to let him sleep in her arms until the snowman contest was finished. However, the fresh air, and the crawling had made Harry so tired that he slept through lunch and did not wake up until dinner without stirring when he was passed from one person to another throughout the whole afternoon.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Later that evening, the four founders sat together in Godric's office and discussed what to do with the little tyke when school started once again after the holidays.

"I suppose I have to invent a Charm, which makes us able to speak in Harry's language and dialect of the future," Rowena suggested.

"Yes, that is absolutely necessary," Godric agreed immediately. "I do not trow that it would be good if he returned to the future speaking in our language and dialect. If thou listens to him, even if the lytling is not good at speaking yet, thou shall see that his language seems to be slightly different from ours."

"I would like to wit whom he grew up with so far and how he managed to arrive here. I have not seen a lytling being as neglected as Harry. But he seems to catch on quickly; he even managed to crawl in the snow this morning, and he has healed very well. Normally children can walk around their first birthday; though I wit not how long it will take him to learn to stand and walk. He also seems to be more confident speaking with us, although he still flinches back badly when I touch him," Helga informed the others.

"I am inclined to use Legilimency on Thunderbolt," Salazar threw in.

"On who?" Rowena asked incredulously, rolling her eyes at her colleague's new nickname for the child.

"Don't thou durst trow of doing Legilimency on the lytling, Sal," Helga said threateningly, giving her husband a menacing glance.

"Maybe the idea has merit; in order to help him we should know what has happened in his past and that would be the only way," Godric agreed with the taller man. "All right, Sal, thou canst teach the lytling Occlumency and Legilimency. Maybe it will be easier for him if he learns it at such a young age. But be careful not to hurt him."

"I shall not hurt Thunderbolt," Salazar promised grudgingly.

Suddenly, Fawkes started to trill a happy sounding phoenix melody, leaving everyone looking at Godric expectantly. #The nestling is a sand phoenix although it will take many egg turns for him to discover the power of his phoenix form.#

"According to Fawkes, Leo is a sand phoenix, whatever that means," Godric translated impatiently.

"What it means is that we have to teach him the Animagus transformation, haven't we, Fawkes?" Rowena quickly interrupted her husband, giving Fawkes an expectant glance.

#Exactly, Madam Know-it-all# Fawkes answered boldly, receiving an evil look from the headmaster.

"Let me take notes so we can refer or add to if needed," Godric said, taking up a quill, and wrote on the parchment in front of him:

Leo's Lessons:

Now:  
Occlumency, Legilimency – Salazar  
Animagus Transformation – Rowena  
Life in the magical world, walking, potty training – Helga  
Reading, writing, easy magic – Godric

Later:  
Potions – Salazar  
Charms, Transfiguration – Rowena  
Sword fighting, horseback riding – Godric  
Healing, History of Magic – Helga  
School secrets – who ever sees fit

"Where exactly is Lufu going to stay? So far, he has spent the nights in thy room, Helga, hasn't he?" Rowena enquired.

"Yes, I let him sleep in our bed because he was seoc," Helga replied. "I shall conjure a crib for him on the wall next to our bed, and he canst sleep there until he is bigger, all right, Sal?" She gave her husband a pleading glance, receiving a grudging nod as reply.

"He can sleep in our room as well, and later on he can get his own room just between our quarters," Godric added. "We shall conjure a door in the entrance hall to our quarters just between our doors, leading to his room.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Helga woke up in the morning, she looked over to the crib she had conjured for Harry the evening before, and was horrified to see Harry standing in his crib, holding onto the bars of his crib as if they were a lifeline, with huge tears running down his cheeks, and he was silently sobbing. She quickly stepped over to the child and gently picked him up, noticing that he flinched back as usual, and cuddled him close to her when he allowed her to.

"Oh my Leofost, what's wrong on this beautiful morning?" she enquired softly, carefully wiping away the tears. "Did you see bad things in your dream?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Ye, seed a bad dweam," he whispered so softly that it was hardly audible.

Helga sat down on her own bed, cradling the child close. "Can you tell me what the dream was about, Leofost?" she asked gently.

Harry's lower lip trembled as if he was going to cry again. He answered in a very small voice, "A bad man comed and much gween light maked Mummy no move anymowe."

Helga listened to the child's small voice, '_Is that true? Can it be that he witnessed his mother's death?_' horrified by the thought what he saw may have actually happened earlier in his young life. '_The poor lytling._'

Salazar suddenly spoke to Harry, after hearing him tell Helga of his dream, "Hey Thunderbolt, would you mind sharing your dream with Daddy Salazar?"

Harry gave him an anxious look. '_Is he my Daddy now? Does that mean the kind lady is my new Mummy? I__'d__ like that,_' he thought, giving the man a short nod, before he nestled deeper in Helga's robes.

Helga turned to her husband. "Are you sure that you want to do Legilimency on the lytling?" At his nod she responded with, "Please be very careful not to hurt him."

"Look, Thunderbolt, I'm going to enter your mind, but I shall be very careful. If I hurt you, please tell me so, and I shall stop immediately. All right?"

Harry gave the friendly man a small nod. '_It must be horrible, if he speaks so much before doing anything,_' he thought, frightened. '_They don't speak so funny anymore. But what is he going to do to me?_' Suddenly, the pictures of the dream he had witnessed a short while ago started to flash through his mind again, followed by pictures of his former home, his cupboard, and the Dursleys. A few minutes later, he felt that he other presence that had been in his mind for a short time left with an almost comforting embrace.

"Are you all right, Leofost?" Helga enquired, giving him a concerned look. "Does your head hurt?"

Harry slowly shook his head. '_It hurts a bit, but not much,_' he thought, being used to much worse from his stay at the Dursleys.

In the meantime, Salazar had retrieved his Pensieve and busied himself putting the memories he had seen in Harry's mind into the Pensieve. "You should watch the memories together with Rowena and Godric," he suggested to his wife before he turned to Harry once more. "You did that very well, Thunderbolt, thank you," he commended the child, who gave him a small smile in return.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the next few weeks, Harry re-learned to walk quickly, which wasn't very difficult as he had already been able to stand and walk at the time his parents had died. His speaking abilities had greatly improved and expanded since Rowena invented a Charm, which made everyone in the castle, to Harry at least, speak normal, modern English of one thousand years into the future. At the end of the winter holidays, Harry didn't even need a nappy anymore.

One day, Harry had a big fright. He toddled slowly behind Rowena down the huge staircase to the Entrance Hall, his mind circling around the beautiful back raven into which Rowena had transformed in front of his eyes. The raven had been able to communicate with him, and Rowena had told him afterwards that he, Harry, after a lot of practice, would be able to transform into a phoenix like Fawkes. Rowena had even promised to teach Harry and show him how it worked. When they arrived in front of the Great Hall Harry was pulled out of his musings. He happily entered the Hall after Rowena, longing to tell Helga about the pretty raven, when he stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of the five students that had sat at the Head table with the teachers during the holidays, a few hundred students were occupying the Great Hall, sitting at four long House tables.

"What's wrong, Lufu?" Rowena asked, noticing that the child was not following anymore.

"Dewe awe so many tudens," Harry replied confused.

"Oh, yes Harry, today the other students arrived back from their holidays. Don't worry, they are all as nice as the five students, who you met over the holidays," Rowena explained patiently, knowing that Harry adored the five students, who had often played with him several times during the last two weeks.

'_All right, then it must be okay. I will stay close to the nice lady anyway_,' Harry thought and hurried to keep up with Rowena, walking as close to the teacher as he possibly could without falling.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the next several months, Harry became used to living in the huge castle and having two sets of parents. During the day, he often stayed with Helga, who had fewer lessons than the others since she was taking care of the injured and sick students. Once the lessons for the day were over, Rowena, Godric, or Salazar often took him out onto the grounds and taught him to ride a pony or to swim in the lake that was on the castle grounds. If the weather did not permit them to go outside they would go to the come-and-go room for his swimming lessons. Harry, who adored the students, would sometimes be asked to join in some of their games. At night, Harry would stay either with Helga and Salazar or with Rowena and Godric, having a crib in both of their rooms.

One day, Harry was giving Helga a hard time because he did not want to eat his vegetables and was refusing to eat them by clamping his mouth shut and shaking his head no, with tears streaming out of his eyes, when Salazar arrived, holding something large behind his back. "Look, Harry, what Daddy Salazar has for you," he addressed the child that was sobbing without making a sound.

"Harry may not have anything until his vegetables are gone completely," Helga told her husband sternly.

With a completely disgusted face Harry put a small pea in his mouth, gagging at the taste, earning himself a pitying smile from Salazar, who didn't like vegetables either and often enough had also been forced by his wife to eat something he despised.

"Now, that's not funny, little man. Do not dare puke on the table. I want your plate empty in five minutes," Helga strictly instructed the child. "And stop the sniffing immediately; you have no reason to cry over a few vegetables."

'_It's disgusting; I don't want to eat it. It makes my stomach feel icky. Oh, I wished my plate was already empty_,' Harry thought desperately, watching the vegetables disappear from his plate in a blink.

"Ha ha, a brilliant show of accidental magic," Salazar laughed, quietening immediately after a warning glance from his wife.

"Harry James Potter! What do you think you're doing?" Helga scolded the child, while Rowena and Godric were apparently trying to hide their amusement, looking at the child with proud expressions on their faces. "All right, you won't be allowed to eat your desert now; instead you will return home for your nap early." Helga stood up and took Harry out of his seat, making him hurry after her up to her office beside the hospital room, where she put the child into his playpen for his nap.

"I'm sowwy," Harry mumbled tiredly when Helga tucked him in.

"You were very naughty, but I love you nonetheless, Leofost," Helga answered, placing a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"Love you too, Mummy," Harry just managed to get out before his eyes drooped close and his breathing evened out, leaving Helga to wonder if she had heard correctly what the child called her.

Harry woke up a few hours later to a discussion between Helga and Salazar. "You cannot give him a broom yet, Sal; he's only two," Helga insisted.

'_A broom?_' Harry thought confused. '_Do they want me to clean? Aunt Tunia wanted me to clean one of the rooms but I couldn't because I couldn't walk at that time_,' he remembered the very embarrassing event at the Dursleys.

"He'll be three in two months, and look at the broom, Helga; it's made for lytlings," Salazar countered. Seeing that Harry had just opened his eyes, he turned to the child. "Look Thunderbolt, Daddy Salazar has a broomstick for you. Shall we go flying?"

'_Flying on a broomstick like the big students?_' Harry thought excitedly and gave Salazar an enthusiastic nod. "Yes pwease, Daddy Salazar."

"All right then Thunderbolt, promise Mummy Helga that you'll be very careful."

Harry turned to Helga. "I be vewy cawefu, pwomise."

Helga scooped the child up in her arms. "All right, Leofost; I'll be watching you through the window." She gave him a kiss and handed him over to Salazar.

An hour later, the whole school knew that Harry was a very talented flyer, and he was even allowed to join the younger students playing catch in the air. Suddenly, images of his smaller self riding in front of his daddy on a large broom, flying after a golden Snitch popped up in his mind. He quickly flew down to the ground, landing in front of Salazar, who was watching Harry and the students play. "Hawwy haww Nitch?" he asked the man softly.

"A nitch? What is a nitch, Thunderbolt?" Salazar enquired confused, noticing that the child looked straight into his eyes as to invite him to do Legilimency. "You want me to watch something?" he confirmed, seeing that Harry gave him a short nod. Very carefully as not to hurt the child he entered his mind.

"A golden Snitch," Salazar said thoughtfully, having seen a few scenes about Quidditch in Harry's mind. "Harry, we don't have a Snitch here, but I promise we'll invent it for you."

Harry gave his new father an enthusiastic nod and was back up in the air in a blink. During the next few weeks, Helga, Godric, and Salazar worked together to 'invent' Quidditch. Not only Harry but also many students were delighted to learn the new sport, and soon became proficient at it. To Harry's great pleasure, the teachers planned a huge Quidditch tournament that took place on the last weekend of the school year at the beginning of June. Everyone, who wanted to play, was allowed to participate, and all the teachers except for Rowena, who hated flying, joined the teams. Harry however, was so small, that he only received Helga's permission to play after all teams had promised to be very careful not to hit him with a Bludger.

Harry wasn't able to fly as fast as the much older students but he was very quick to find the Snitch, which he absolutely adored, and the team decided immediately to let him play Seeker. Harry was over the moon with joy when he managed to win two games in a row for his team. _'I like flying so much, and the Snitch is really beautiful,_' he thought, adoring his favourite little ball before he handed it over to Rowena, who quickly ended the game.

However, during the last game of the tournament, which took place on Sunday afternoon, Harry suddenly felt very tired. '_Oh, I should have taken a nap after lunch, but I wanted to have fun. I'm so tired_,' he thought, desperately trying to keep his eyes open. Distracted only for a few seconds, he somehow lost the grip on his broom completely, and the students and teachers on the ground watched in horror as the little tyke tumbled down in a free fall.

Old English used in this chapter:  
durst dare  
Leofost dearest  
lytling child  
seoc sick  
trow think  
wit know

_tbc..._

_There won't be much more old English in this story - Thanks for keeping up with it so far :-)_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	3. Animagi to the Rescue

**3 – Animagi to the Rescue**

Harry tumbled down toward the ground thinking desperately, '_I don't want to die, have to fly,_' and in front of the whole school his small body transformed into the form of a phoenix. It was light brown with rainbow coloured back wings, and everyone stared at the beautiful bird in awe. It made a soft landing on the ground, where he changed back into the child's form automatically.

'_That's strange; it felt like I was a birdie_,' Harry thought confused, while Helga and Rowena approached him worriedly.

"Harry, are you all right? What happened?" Helga asked, waving her wand over the child.

"I'm fine," Harry replied, yawning. "Must catch Nitch," he suddenly remembered and tried to scramble to his feet but felt himself being pushed to lay down on the ground again.

"You will not fly again today, Leofost. You are going to take a nap at once," Helga told the child firmly, giving Rowena an enquiring look.

Rowena picked Harry up and sat down on one of the benches that they had put around the new Quidditch pitch, looking at the child in her arms and saw that he was already fast asleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry was a bit sad when all of the students left for their homes as soon as the summer holidays started. Only himself, the four teachers, as well as the house elves remained in the huge castle. At lunchtime, he sat in his child seat in the Great Hall, cuddling his green stuffed dragon that Rowena had conjured for him a few months ago, with a very sad expression on his face.

"Oh, don't look so sad, Leo. Soon it will be your birthday, and you will be three and a big boy," Godric told him, watching the boy play with his food.

"I don' haf baafday," Harry answered, shaking his head in confusion. '_No, I'm sure that I don't have a birthday, only Dudley had one_,' Harry remembered. He was sure because Dudley had gotten an absolutely cool, shiny red tricycle and Harry had hoped to get something similar, but Uncle Vernon had made sure that Harry knew that freaks didn't get presents.

"Of course you will have your birthday and it's not far off until then. Do you have a wish for your birthday, Leofost?" Helga asked gently.

"A wed twicyce," Harry replied automatically, however in a very silent voice, raising both eyebrows at the kind woman. '_Oh no, what did I say now? I know that I can't get presents, and now they'll be angry at me because I'm so ungrateful_,' he thought desperately.

"A what?" Godric blurted out, glancing curiously at the boy.

Salazar gave Harry a close look and asked softly, "Will you show Daddy Salazar what you mean, Thunderbolt?"

Harry gave him a short nod and looked straight into his new Dad's eyes, thinking of Dudley's last birthday. '_I wonder if I perhaps will get a tricycle for my birthday_,' Harry thought hesitantly, but he didn't dare hope that it wasn't only a nice dream. '_No birthday presents for freaks_,' he remembered sadly.

Salazar put the memory he had seen in Harry's mind into Godric's newly developed Pensieve and showed it to the others as soon as Harry was in bed that evening. "Will we be able to produce such a thing?" he asked, glancing at his wife and friends.

"Let's try anyway," Godric replied eagerly rubbing his hands together in an excited manner, and his friends noticed a merry twinkle in his eyes, promising that he wouldn't rest until he had found a way to accomplish his goal of making his little Leo happy.

Rowena sighed in dismay of many days of expected absence of her husband as well as of lots of fights between Godric and Salazar, who just couldn't properly work together without fighting. "I will help to Charm the tricycle to move, but I tell thee now behave like men and not like toddlers and stop fighting for the lytling's sake."

During the weeks until Harry's birthday, Godric and Salazar were very busy trying to figure out how to make the tricycle Harry wanted. Their studies were accompanied by many fights and their wives often had to keep the two at bay so that they wouldn't hex each other. Finally, Rowena was so fed up with them that she studied the picture of the tricycle in the Pensieve in detail and transfigured a rock into a tricycle.

"Shut thy mouth, Salazar. I always told thee that my wife is the most brilliant witch of our time," Godric told his colleague, who was looking at the tricycle in awe. He gave Rowena a proud glance. "Will that thing really work then?" he asked doubtfully, earning a laugh of the women.

"Why don't you just try it out and see?" Helga asked, laughing even more when Godric tried to mount the small toy.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The morning of Harry's third birthday, Helga and Harry entered the Great Hall, seeing that it was beautifully decorated with many large trees as in a jungle. In the trees there were many exotic birds trilling and flying around, and the trees had broad steps attached so that even a small child could safely climb them all the way to the top. Harry looked in awe at the Great Hall that was turned into a playground, and an excited, "Oh!" escaped his mouth, a huge smile playing on his lips.

"Happy Birthday, Leofost! This is a playground for you to play in for the day!" Helga told him, pulling him in a bear hug.

"You are three today and already a big boy, Lufu," Rowena added, pulling the child over to the breakfast table that was covered by a huge cake in form of the castle with three big candles on top of the towers.

"Happy birthday, son," Godric said and waved his hand at the candles that immediately lit.

"And do you think you'll get a present?" Salazar asked in a teasing way without thinking further about the experiences of the child's past.

Harry gave him a frightened look before he averted his eyes to the floor. "No sir," he then answered in a very small voice, only audible to Salazar, who was standing right in front of the child.

Salazar picked Harry up and looked straight into his eyes. "Thunderbolt, first of all, I'm not a 'sir', I'm your Daddy Salazar. And secondly, of course you will receive a present, and I know that you'll like it very much. But first you have to eat your breakfast, is that a deal?"

Harry returned the look, obviously very astonished, and answered, "Awigh, fanku, Daddy Salaza," a small smile playing on his lips. He sat down on his chair and let the others teach him how to blow out the candles before he happily munched on his piece of cake. "Whewe dis?" he suddenly asked, giving his four parents a curious glance.

"That's a part of Daddy Godric's office," Helga explained patiently, noticing that the child gave Godric an amused look and then was eagerly munching away without abandon.

Finally, breakfast was finished, and suddenly several colourfully wrapped presents appeared on the table as soon as the plates were cleared. '_Are these presents for me? But there must be some kind of mistake_,' he thought anxiously, while Helga and Rowena tried to coax him into opening the first present. It was a red and yellow ball, and Harry happily pulled it close, looking amazed at his new treasure. He also received a few children's books and was very happy. 'This is the happiest day of my life,' Harry thought blissfully, when Godric told him to put the book aside that he was just looking at and ushered him out of the Great Hall and onto the grounds. The first thing Harry saw was "A twicyce!" he shouted excitedly, running over to the beautiful red toy.

Helga quickly ran after the child in order to prevent him from falling off. However, Harry was already sitting on the tricycle when she caught up to him, eagerly trying to move it forward. "Twicyce no go," he told her, throwing his new toy an accusing look, and his lower lip started to quiver dangerously.

"Now now, Leofost; let me show you how to ride that," Helga told him firmly and showed him how to move his legs, glad that the smile immediately returned to the child's face as soon as understanding showed in his eyes.

During the next few weeks, Harry became so proficient at riding the tricycle that Rowena transfigured it to a bicycle. At the same time, she transfigured another rock to an adult's bicycle, so that one of the teachers could always accompany Harry around the grounds when he managed to learn to ride the bicycle and would be faster than they could follow on foot, making it easier for them to keep up with the energetic lytling.

ハリーと幸せの願い

One Sunday afternoon in early December, Harry rode on his bicycle while Salazar accompanied the child on his broom, flying very low. '_I really like my bicycle,_' Harry suddenly thought, '_but flying is so much more fun!_' He concentrated on his bicycle and on his idea of flying to catch the Snitch, and suddenly he noticed that his right arm became very tingly, and the bicycle started to fly. Harry laughed happily and flew next to his Daddy around the grounds.

Suddenly however, Helga came out of the castle in order to see what her husband and son were doing and received a huge fright when she saw the child flying on his bicycle in the same height and speed as Salazar flew on his broom. "Harry!" she gasped, a horrified expression on her face that only intensified tenfold when the child turned his head down to her and fell down two meters onto the ground along with his bike.

Harry was enjoying flying on his bicycle a lot. When he heard his Mummy Helga's voice, he turned his head and before he knew what happened he crashed into the ground. He could only think, '_It hurts_,' before everything went dark around him. Only minutes later, he regained consciousness, noticing that his head hurt a lot and that he couldn't untangle his limbs from the bicycle. From far away, he could hear Helga's voice telling Salazar that he had to make some kind of potion because his arm was broken and he had a concussion '_whatever that is'_. Then he felt himself being separated from his bicycle and picked up by his Mummy Helga's caring hands.

Harry hesitantly opened his eyes but felt his stomach churn as he did so and closed his eyes again instantly. A few minutes later, he felt himself being laid down in a bed and knew without even opening his eyes that he was in his own bed in Helga's bedroom. "Can you open your eyes for me, Leofost?" Helga asked softly.

Harry slightly shook his head, wincing at the pain coming with the small movement. "No Mummy, hurts," he whispered back. He felt something cold pressed against his lips and quickly gulped down the cool potion, relaxing when the pain in his head and his left arm faded to a dull ache.

Helga made him drink another potion before she told him, "Now you should be able to open your eyes, Leofost."

Harry anxiously opened his eyes just a little bit and relaxed when nothing happened. Helga put her wand away and placed a cool cloth on his forehead before she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Leofost, do you remember what you did out on the grounds?"

Harry averted his eyes to one of the small dragons on his bedcovers. "Yes, I made my bicycle fly wif my arm all tingly. And den, I falled down to de gwound."

"Yes, sweetie, you did something very dangerous. A bicycle is not made for flying, only for riding on the ground. As you have seen, magic is not only good but can be very dangerous. Please don't ever do that again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I'm sowwy," Harry replied in a hardly audible voice, his lips moving ever so slightly.

大丈夫

Two days later, Harry was completely recovered but the shock still remained. '_That was so horrible_,' he thought again and again, promising himself, '_I will never fly with my bicycle again_.' He also felt very bad for Daddy Salazar because he had been scolded for something that had not been his fault. Nevertheless he couldn't help giggling when he remembered the dressing-down his Daddy Salazar had received from Mummy Helga, who had called him an irresponsible idiot.

自分の部屋

The weeks passed quickly, and soon the summer holidays started again. One day, Harry and his four parents sat together in Godric's and Rowena's living room when Godric turned to Harry. "Now Leo, you're such a big boy now, what do you think about having your own room?"

Harry looked from Godric to Rowena frightened. '_What does he mean with own room? They won't lock me into a cupboard, will they?_' he worried, nervously biting his lower lip until it started to bleed.

"Oh, my poor Leofost, you don't have to be frightened," Helga told him gently. "We're not going to abandon you. We just thought it might be nice for you to have your own room where you can sleep and play comfortably. Your room will have a connecting door to our rooms of course."

Harry gave her a questioning look. "Why don't we just go and have a look?" 

Rowena suggested. "Godric asked the house elves to fix the room specifically for you weeks ago, and they have also made the connecting doors."

Harry anxiously followed the teachers up into the small common room in front of the entrances to his parents' quarters. Just in between the door to Helga's and Salazar's room and the door to Rowena's and Godric's room a third door had appeared, and Harry hesitantly entered the room after Rowena. As soon as he was able to look into the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. '_It's beautiful_,' he thought, looking around the room in awe.

The room held a huge bed with dark blue curtains around it, light stars all over the blue cloth. Next to the bed was a wardrobe, on the opposite wall Harry saw a desk with a chair in front of it. A bookshelf stood next to the desk, and on the far wall was a huge window, obviously charmed to overlook the lake that Harry loved so much. Apart from the door leading to the common room, the room held three other doors, one of them leading to a small bathroom, the others to each of his parents' bedrooms.

Harry turned to his four parents. "This is brilliant! Thank you so much!" he said enthusiastically, his eyes twinkling happily.

"You can still come to our rooms anytime, Leofost," Helga told the child sternly. "Whenever you have a bad dream, feel frightened or lonely, or have any other problems, you can come over to each of our rooms and sleep in our bed with us."

"We will also hear you when you call us, Lufu, and we will always leave the door slightly ajar," Rowena added to her friend's words, pulling Harry close.

慣れにくい

It took Harry some time to get used to living in his own room although in fact he wasn't much further away from his parents than before, and the teachers, noticing how anxious Harry was to stay on his own, even left the connecting door to the quarters where they spent the evening open every evening so that Harry knew where to find them and left the door to at least one of their own bedrooms wide open at night. Harry slept through the night most of the time without any problems. During the six months until Christmas, he only toddled over to Helga's or Rowena's bed three times, twice after having horrible nightmares, about his stay at the Dursleys and the night when his parents died, and once when his belly ached during the night.

One night, however, a few days before Christmas, Harry was pulled out of his sleep by something jumping onto his bed in a small flash of sand. He woke up crying and coughing up small bits of sand. Unfortunately, it was still early in the evening, so that his parents weren't in the next room and didn't hear him. However, the lights in his room that were charmed to flare whenever Harry said something in the dark flared up, and Harry could see a phoenix sitting on his stomach that looked straight into his eyes.

#I'm sorry, I didn't intend to wake you up and frighten you# the bird spoke up, softly adding, #I'm your future self. Don't be afraid when I transform back, ok?#

Harry glanced at the bird suspiciously and gave a small nod. '_He looks a bit like Fawkes, although the colours are completely different. He is very pretty though,_' he mused while the phoenix jumped onto the floor and transformed into an older version of himself.

"You are me?" Harry asked hesitantly, looking at the older boy in awe.

"Yes, I'm you. I'm sorry, I made a mistake," the older Harry answered, slightly shivering. "I must see Mummy Helga. Sleep well, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"All right," Harry replied, snuggling deeper into his bedcovers while the older boy left the room through the connecting door to Helga's and Salazar's bedroom.

_tbc..._

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	4. Fruits and Potions

**4 – Fruits and Potions**

The older boy left Harry's room, entering Helga's and Salazar's quarters, finding the four teachers in the living room. "Hello," he carefully addressed them in order not to give everyone a fright.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Salazar snapped at the boy immediately drawing his wand in the process.

"I'm Harry; I'm sorry, I made a mistake; I meant to arrive here in the winter of the year when I was eleven."

Noticing that the boy was shivering and apparently in pain, Helga walked over to him, motioned him to sit down next to her on the sofa before she told the others, "Sal put that wand away, of course this is Harry, and he seems to be ill. What's wrong with you, Leofost?"

Older Harry leaned into his mother's embrace. "I was in Potions, and the professor, Professor Snape, is a real git. He hates me, although I don't know why. Anyway, one of the Slytherins threw something into my cauldron, and it exploded all over me. We were only brewing a simple Healing potion, but I don't know what he put into the potion to make it react the way it did."

"And what did your professor say?" Rowena enquired gently.

Eleven-year-old Harry leaned closer to Helga, absorbing the warmth of the contact from his mum. "He said something about fame isn't everything and know-it-alls, who think they can brew better than others or some such thing and told me to go to the hospital wing, but I preferred to come home. I can just go back to the lesson after I left, can't I?"

"If you can manage to time it better than this time, Thunderbolt," Salazar replied, smirking.

Helga threw her husband a glare. "Now shut up. Harry is in pain and has a high fever, that's why he managed to arrive here at the wrong time, but it doesn't matter anyway."

"Shall I try to flash to the right time?" the boy enquired, glancing at his parents.

"You are not going anywhere but to bed," Helga answered sternly. "We need to assess what is wrong with you. Sal, I need you to analyse a sample of Harry's blood and to brew the antidote." She ushered Harry into a bed that she had just conjured next to her own, so that she could watch over him during the night and administer the antidote as soon as it was ready.

Salazar spend several hours checking the boy's blood for traces of poison or other ingredients but could only guess what the boy's problem was, hoping that his assumption would be correct. He just arrived with a few potions when little Harry woke up and decided to climb into his Mummy's bed. The child stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the new bed in the room and remembered the events of the previous evening.

"Come here, Leofost," Helga called him over immediately and told him that his older self had come home from the future because he was sick and that he would spend a day or two with them.

Harry spent the whole day sitting on the edge of the older Harry's bed, talking to his older self, who was able to tell him many interesting stories and give him lots of advice. He also helped Mummy Helga to care for his older self and even ate his meals with him.

"How old are you, little one?" older Harry asked, giving his younger self an assessing look.

"I'm four and half," little Harry replied proudly. "And you? And where do you come from? What is 'futcha'?"

Older Harry couldn't hide a smile. "The 'future' means the time that is ahead of you, for example when you'll be five or six or even eleven like I am. You and I, we have the ability to transform into a sand phoenix and travel through the sands of time. I stayed here with our parents until I became eleven and old enough to attend Hogwarts as a student. Then I flashed back to our original time, which is one thousand years farther into the future than you are now."

'_What does he mean exactly?_' little Harry thought frantically. He had hardly understood anything of what his older self told him. '_That sounds all very freaky. Won't they send me away when they notice that I'm even more of a freak?_' he worried silently.

His older self suddenly started to laugh. "Are you perhaps worrying if our new parents will send you back to wherever you came from?" Seeing that the child gave him an anxious look, accompanied by a hardly recognizable nod, he continued, "Don't worry about that. They love you, and they will never send you away. Just look at me; I grew up here, and even now I'm always going to return here during the holidays because this is my home." '_Nobody in the future knows about that though_,' he added as a silent thought. "Just behave normally, have confidence in our parents, and everything will be all right, you'll see."

Just then Helga entered the room, smiling at the two boys. "How are you feeling, Harry?" she addressed the older boy.

"I'm fine, Mum, and I think I could travel back safely now."

Little Harry couldn't help giggling when Helga rolled her eyes and told his older self sternly, "You will do no such a thing magorinc. We have to wait until the potions wear off and to ensure that you are still well and able to return before we can talk about you travelling back." She remained pensive for a moment before she continued, "Why don't you stay through Christmas? The students just returned home today for their holidays, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

The older Harry sat up excitedly. "All right Mum, but can I teach you how they do Christmas in the future? It's just brilliant."

Helga and Harry laughed in anticipation. "Tell us please, Leofost, and we will see what we can do to modernize it here a bit," Helga encouraged the excited boy, pulling little Harry close at the same time.

初めてのクリスマス

Two days later, older and younger Harry entered the Great Hall together with their parents and little Harry stopped dead in his tracks. The Hall was decorated beautifully with a huge Christmas tree, lit with hundreds of small, twinkling stars. He looked at the tree in awe. 'Wow, that's so pretty,' he thought happily.

"You haven't even noticed the best part yet," his older self told him mischievously. "Look under the tree."

Harry did as his older self had advised him, seeing lots of presents piled under the tree, and his eyes grew bigger at the sight. "Oh, Santa has come here!" he exclaimed happily, giving Mummy Rowena, who stood next to him, an unsure look.

"Yes Lufu, it seems that Father Christmas came during the night and brought presents for all of us. However, you will need to eat your breakfast first, and then we can go look for your present," Rowena confirmed, smiling at the child's obvious excitement. She and the other teachers had spent most of the night trying to build a toy version of the future Hogwarts Express according to a short memory of older Harry, who had boarded the train at the beginning of the winter holidays in his first Hogwarts year when pretending to return to his Muggle relatives. As soon as he had boarded the train though he had transformed into his phoenix form and flashed back to the past to spend Christmas at home. Now everyone was very keen on seeing little Harry's reaction when he discovered his new train set.

Needless to say it was a huge success. Little Harry was over the moon with joy, especially as his older self was still there and helped him build the rails so that the Hogwarts Express could travel from London to Hogsmeade. The two boys spent the whole day playing with the train set and even invited the five students that had remained at the castle over the holidays to join them. Fortunately, the students enjoyed playing with them too and continued keeping little Harry company even after his older self had returned to the future on the day after Christmas.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the next few months, the four teachers intensified their efforts to teach Harry the subjects they had agreed to teach him when he had first arrived at the castle. Salazar finally began to teach Harry about Occlumency and Legilimency, while Helga taught him everything a four-year-old could understand about the magical world as well as reading, writing and arithmetic. Due to his position as headmaster, Godric didn't have much free time during the day, but nevertheless he managed to teach Harry easy Spells that the child was able to perform without a wand. Rowena continued teaching the boy the Animagus transformation. Now, as Harry had already seen his Animagus form when he saw his older self coming from the future, it was much easier for him to imagine becoming a phoenix.

Godric and Helga were very pleased as Harry managed very well with all tasks that were laid out for him. It was soon clear that he was a very intelligent and powerful child. However, Harry just couldn't manage to occlude his mind at all. Even if Salazar was very careful not to hurt the child when he entered his mind, the feeling of someone entering his mind was so unpleasant that Harry became very frustrated. One night, he couldn't keep his tears back when Helga sat down on the edge of his bed to read him a bedtime story.

"What's wrong, Leofost?" Helga asked astonished, carefully stroking the child's cheek.

"I can't do Occumency," Harry confided in a small voice. "Daddy always sees my thoughts, and sometimes it hurts." Seeing that Helga gave him a concerned look, he added, "Not much, only a 'lil bit."

"Leofost, does your head hurt right now?" Helga enquired gently, and when Harry gave her a slight nod, she quickly summoned a children's pain relieving potion, which she made Harry drink immediately. "I know that it is very difficult and it takes a lot of practise, Leofost. However, if it hurts each time you have your lessons and afterwards, we can cancel the lessons. You can still learn how to occlude your mind later when you're bigger," she told the child gently while brushing an errant strand of hair back.

Harry gratefully gave Helga a slight hug before he lay back and closed his eyes, falling asleep immediately. However, Harry's Occlumency abilities didn't improve much during the next lessons. One night, Helga woke up to a small figure standing next to her bed whispering, "Mummy, I'm wet."

Helga quickly cast a Lumos Charm, noticing Harry's absolutely terrified expression. She quickly got up and ushered the child into his bathroom, where she helped him take off the wet pyjamas, clean him up and put on the clean set of pyjamas she had summoned on the way through Harry's room. Then she led Harry to her own bed, making him lie down between Salazar and her.

"What happened, Leofost?" she asked softly.

Harry fought hard to keep the tears at bay that were gathering in his eyes, waiting to pour down his face any second. "I failed in Occumeny again. Today, Daddy saw the memory of the night my real mummy was killed," he whispered back in a hoarse voice. "Plus he saw some un-nice memories of my relatives I was with before coming here."

Helga nodded in understanding. Salazar had already filled her in about the horrible memories he had seen in his son's mind that afternoon.

"I'm sorry," Harry said suddenly, averting his eyes to the bed covers.

"Why are you sorry?" Helga asked, astonished.

"For wetting my bed like a baby," Harry replied, ashamed.

Helga took a deep breath before she gave the child a stern look. "Harry, that's not your fault. However, your Occlumency lessons are obviously bothering you much more than we thought they would. Therefore, I suggest that we suspend your lessons for the moment. We can pick them up again at a later time when they won't affect you as much." Seeing that Harry was giving her a hopeful look, she promised to talk to Salazar in the morning about the matter.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry's Animagus studies were progressing very slowly as well. Only a few days before his fifth birthday Harry finally managed to transform his left hand into a light brown wing.

"Look Mummy Rowena!" Harry shouted excitedly jumping up and down waving his beautiful wing, showing Rowena.

"Very well done, Lufu," Rowena commended the child giving him a hug. "That was the most difficult part of the Animagus transformation. Now that you've managed the first step, you will be, in a matter of a few weeks or months, able to transform your other limbs as well."

Salazar was very disappointed that Harry obviously hadn't inherited his natural talent of Occlumency. However, he could understand his wife's worries about the child and cancelled the Occlumency lessons for a year or two when he might be able to cope with the memories a bit better. "Maybe you can try again next year," Helga had suggested, and Salazar had grudgingly agreed.

Instead, Salazar decided to start teaching the child easy Potions, hoping that Harry would be more adept at his own favourite subject. He spent many hours searching through all his potions books and even inventing new potions in order to stock a 'Toddler's Potions Kit' for Harry, containing a small cauldron, harmless ingredients, and a few recipes that could be brewed with the ingredients in the kit and that sounded interesting to a child like one for fruit drops. The kit also held the necessary tools that Salazar had made especially for Harry's small hands. Harry was thrilled when he received the Potions kit for his fifth birthday.

During the next several weeks, Salazar spent every free minute showing Harry how to brew the easy potions that they could do with Harry's Potions kit. At first, Harry was a bit apprehensive, remembering his experiences with the Occlumency lessons. However, Harry soon noticed that he really liked brewing potions together with his Daddy. At first, Salazar took his Potions kit from him, placed it next to an empty cauldron on the table, and ordered him to sit down on a high chair in front of his kit before he sat down next to him. Harry then watched intensely as Salazar took a recipe and some ingredients out of the kit and showed him how to prepare the ingredients. '_What is the difference between 'cut', 'chop', and 'crush'?_' the child thought confused, watching eagerly how his Daddy mixed all ingredients together, explained everything as he went, and getting a colourless liquid in the end.

Salazar turned the flame down to allow the potion to simmer for a while and turned to Harry. "Now, was that difficult Thunderbolt? Next time, we'll do it together, all right?"

"All right," Harry nodded eagerly though he still had many questions left.

"What do you prefer, Thunderbolt, lemon or raspberry?" Salazar enquired, giving the child a questioning look.

"What's raspberry?" Harry returned uncertainly.

"You don't know what a raspberry is?" Salazar asked astonished before he made up his mind and ushered the child out of the room. "Let's go and get some raspberries, Thunderbolt."

Harry warily followed the man into the dark forest that started directly where the Hogwarts grounds ended. '_Mummy Helga and Mummy Rowena told me not to go into the forest because it's very dangerous_,' Harry thought anxiously but didn't have a chance to voice his hesitance as he had a hard time trying to keep up with the teacher's fast pace. A few minutes later, they reached a clearance where he saw many bushes with red berries all over them. Salazar handed him a bucket and instructed him only to pick the ripe, red berries and put them into the bucket. Harry got to his work obediently, startled when Salazar, who busied himself at a different bush, suddenly shouted, "Thunderbolt, Don't forget to nibble as many as you put in the bucket!"

Harry gave the man an astonished glance and hesitantly put one of the berries into his mouth, noticing that it was delicious. He ate more of the tasty berries as he dutifully put every second berry into his mouth like his Daddy had told him. Just when he felt as though he couldn't eat any more berries because his belly began to ache, Salazar, thankfully, told him that it was time to head back to the castle.

Back in the potions lab, Salazar threw a cleaning Spell on the berries before he placed a handful of them in front of the child, telling him to mash them, so that they could mix the mush into the potion. Harry watched in awe as the potion changed to a light red colour. Salazar showed him a plate with many small rectangular openings, which he filled with the potion and put it aside to let it cool down. To Harry's amazement, an hour later, they were able to take the small fruit drops out of the plate. Encouraged by his Daddy, he put one in his mouth, finding it absolutely delicious, and gifting his daddy with a wide smile that lit up his face.

Over the next few weeks, Salazar and Harry always made fruit drops after a trip to the forest in order to pick fruits. They also tried out several kinds of tasty flavours that Harry could add to his milk at breakfast. Later in autumn, however, there weren't any more berries available, so they were only able to use apples or pears for their drops. During this time, Harry had become proficient in brewing fruit drops, and one day Salazar suggested, "Would you like to make some pear drops for Mummy Helga and Mummy Rowena for Christmas?"

"Yes!" Harry shouted excitedly. "Can we do that? Please! When is Christmas? Will Santa come to visit me again this year? Will my older Harry come again too?"

Salazar laughed at the child's excitement. "I don't think that your older self will come again this year since that time was only a mistake. I'm not sure if Santa will come again. Do you think he will?"

"I have been a good boy, haven't I?" Harry asked quietly, anxiously glancing up into the obsidian eyes looking at him.

"Oh, let me ask Mummy Helga and Mummy Rowena about that," Salazar teased him playfully. "By the way, we should clean up here and head to the Great Hall for dinner before they miss us. We can make the pear drops tomorrow."

Harry agreed immediately and hurried to help clean up the lab. The next day, however, he was feeling a bit under the weather, and he didn't want to admit that to anyone, knowing that Helga wouldn't allow him to brew potions if he wasn't feeling well. As soon as he was sitting in front of the empty cauldron however, he realized that his head hurt too much to concentrate on brewing properly, especially since it was making him feel a bit dizzy too. He turned to his Daddy and hesitantly asked, "Daddy Salazar, do we have to brew the fruit drops today?"

Salazar gave him an astonished glance. "No, we don't have to do that today, but how come you don't want to? I thought you liked brewing."

Not exactly knowing why he felt inclined to lie to his Daddy, Harry answered, "Yes, I love it. It's just… I'm a bit tired today,"

"Ah, all right; then it's better not to brew a potion. Brewing is very dangerous, and you can only brew if you're fully awake and fit. In fact, I'm proud of you, Thunderbolt, for making a responsible and mature decision. Let's go for a walk instead. There is something I'd like to show you," Salazar suggested, and Harry agreed relieved.

Salazar led the child up into his and Helga's quarters and into a small room behind their bathroom that Harry had never noticed being there before. With a mumbled incantation, Salazar made another door appear in the wall, and he motioned Harry to follow him a few steps down into the dark passageway, while he went ahead quickly. When Harry started down the steps he suddenly felt very cold and started shivering so much that he couldn't prevent himself from slipping on the slippery, clammy stones. '_Oh no, I'm falling_!' he thought in panic but couldn't prevent himself tumbling down the steps. The last thing he heard, before he lost consciousness, was his Daddy shouting, "Thunderbolt!"

Old English used in this chapter:

Magorinc: young man

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	5. The Secret Chamber

**5 – The Secret Chamber**

A few minutes later, Harry's mind slowly returned back to semi-consciousness. He noticed immediately that he was sore and cold, and he heard strange voices that sounded as if they were from far away. Hesitant to open his hurting eyes, he contented himself to just lie where he was as he listened in to the voices. One of the voices he recognized as Daddy Salazar's, but it still sounded strange although Harry could understand every word.

"I've been waiting for quite some time for you to bring the lytling down to visit me," the second voice hissed in complaint.

"You know that Harry isss only five," Salazar replied in the same hissing style of speech. "But if he doesn't wake up sssoon, I'll have to get Helga, and asss you can imagine she will not very pleassed."

'_Oh no, no, no, I don't want that_, _anything but that_,' Harry thought frantically, and hurried to force his eyes open.

"Oh, Thunderbolt, thank God you're awake!" Salazar blurted out in his normal voice. "Are you all right? You slipped down the stairs."

"I'm f… f… fine," Harry replied with chattering teeth. "But I'm so c… c… cold."

Salazar quickly conjured a warm, green robe, wrapping the child firmly within the warm fabric. Harry gave him a grateful smile before he slowly turned his head to take in the second person in the room, whom he had heard Salazar talk to while he had been semi-conscious. His eyes grew bigger with surprise as soon as he took in the other living being in the large stone room he was in. It was a huge snake. Harry gave Salazar a horrified look, making the man laugh at the child's expression.

"Now, Harry, this is my friend Amaterasu. She is named after the Japanese sun goddess because she is a beautiful Basilisk lady, just like a goddess, don't you agree? She is my familiar, and I'd like it if you were to become friends with her," Salazar explained patiently.

"Hello Harry," Amaterasu hissed in a friendly greeting.

Harry gave Salazar an anxious glance before he replied, "Hello Amaterasu."

Salazar let out a huge gasp. "You're able to speak Parseltongue. I hadn't even dared to hope that you would be! This is fantastic!"

"Yes, I appreciate that very much, my new, young friend," Amaterasu hissed to Harry.

"Where are we?" Harry asked curiously, while looking around the large stone room.

"This, Thunderbolt, is the Chamber of Secrets," Salazar explained. "I built this chamber for Amaterasu. We cannot have her run around the castle all the time you know. Normally, everyone who looks into a Basilisk's yellow eyes dies instantly. However, I have placed a Charm on the castle and the grounds, even on a part of the forest, so that nothing happens to the people who look at Amaterasu. I have to renew the charm every year though. But nevertheless many of the students would be afraid of her or may try to harm her. Therefore, Amaterasu is only allowed in the main part of the castle during the summer holidays. At all other times she lives here in the chamber when she isn't hunting in the forest."

"And you can only get to the chamber through your bathroom?" Harry asked incredulously, trying to get his chattering teeth under control.

Salazar laughed. "No, in fact the chamber is accessible from two other entrances located on the school grounds. There is one more entrance within the castle and one that is located outside on the school grounds. However, all entrances are protected by Parseltongue passwords, which is no problem for you of course. I will show you the other entrances sometime if you wish."

"Yes please," Harry replied eagerly. "Can we go immediately?" '_Oh, I love this Basilisk. She is beautiful_,' he thought, watching the huge animal in awe.

"No, Thunderbolt, we cannot go now. We have to go eat lunch first, and then I want you to take a nap seeing that you told me three hours ago that you were tired, and that was before you fell down the steps and were unconscious for a few minutes," Salazar told him sternly.

Harry groaned. "No, I'm not hungry, and I don't want to take a nap. Please Daddy, let's go now."

Salazar threw him a menacing glare. "No! As I just told you we will have lunch first. Can you imagine how worried Mummy Helga and Mummy Rowena would be if we do not show up for lunch?" He raised an eyebrow and stretched out a hand to pull the child along.

Harry however, now feeling absolutely awful, didn't want to go to the Great Hall for lunch in the first place, started throwing the first temper tantrum any of his parents had ever witnessed. He jumped up and down with both feet, shouting, "No! I don't want lunch. And it's so cold here that I'm not tired anymore. I want to go now!" He was so engrossed in his temper tantrum that he didn't notice the man's expression change from surprise to one of absolute anger.

Salazar took one step in the child's direction, scooped the stubbornly fighting child into his arms, and carried him out of the chamber, noticing that the boy's cheeks were flushed and his eyes looked glassy as though he was not feeling well. He sighed and put the child into his bed. "You will stay here," he instructed him firmly. "I believe that your bold behaviour is due to the fact that you're sick, and I will send Mummy Helga up to check on you. Lie down and rest until she comes," he said sternly, giving him a menacing glare, and left the room.

'_No!_' Harry thought stubbornly, and quickly followed his Daddy until he reached the Entrance hall. Determined to find the entrance to the chamber that was outside on the school grounds, he left the castle and walked slowly in the direction of the forest, thinking of the Basilisk and quietly speaking in Parseltongue, "Hello! Can you hear me?"

"Oh, a young human ssspeaker," Harry suddenly heard a voice and saw a small snake slithering through the grass in front of him.

"Hello," Harry replied. "Do you know Amaterasu, the huge basilisssk? And do you know where she livesss?"

"Yesss, I know Amaterasu, and I know that she livesss under the castle. The entrance must be somewhere over there because she alwaysss showsss up there."

Harry saw that the snake pointed its head towards the edge of the grounds where the lake met the forest that was separated only by a small foot path. He groaned inwardly. '_Maybe the entrance is hidden in the lake. The basilisk can probably swim_,' he mused, the thought of the cold water making him shivering even more. '_Perhaps I could ask the big fish. What was it called, 'wit', or 'quit', 'squit'? Oh, I don't know, my head is too achy today to think. Anyhow, I could ask him but how. He has played with me when I swam in the lake several times, but we haven't really talked to each other. Will he be able to understand me?_' Harry pondered his options, slowly starting to walk towards the lake. He didn't even bother to look where he was walking, so that he nearly ran into a group of students that were enjoying the Sunday afternoon on the grounds.

"Harry, what are you doing here all on your own?" Hildred, who was among the group, asked the child, getting suspicious because he was never allowed out on the grounds alone.

"I have to ask the big fish something," Harry explained in a slightly annoyed voice. "Do you know what it's called and if it can understand me if I ask him a question?"

Hildred laughed at the impatient child. "It's called the 'Giant Squid', and I don't know if it'll understand you. Be careful Harry, and when you've finished talking with it, you need to go back into the castle before they realize that you are missing, as well as before the snow storm starts."

"All right; thanks Hildred," Harry mumbled and hurried off to the lake. '_Snow storm?_' he thought absentmindedly, while he sat down on the edge of the lake, trying to get the Squid's attention.

Suddenly, a huge clap of thunder shook the grounds, followed by a huge temperature drop and the snow storm Hildred had spoken of before began. Harry, who was still unsuccessfully trying to gain the Squid's attention, hurriedly scrambled to his feet, swayed a bit as he stood up but managed to stay on his feet and made his way through the heavily falling snow, and fierce wind, to the castle's entrance that seemed so far away for his small legs.

Harry had been unaware of the fact that a concerned Hildred had been watching him the whole time, so that he flinched back badly when he felt himself suddenly being lifted up into her arms and carried towards the castle. They just arrived at the entrance doors, when Godric came out, worriedly searching the grounds for any students that may have been caught outside by the storm. He immediately took Harry from Hildred, thanking the girl profoundly.

"What were you doing outside, Leo?" he asked sternly, not knowing that his three colleagues were frantically searching the castle for the child since he himself had missed lunch due to a conference with the Minister of magic. He carefully set the boy back onto his feet.

"I wanted to speak with the Great Squid," Harry mumbled his explanation, slightly slurring the words. He automatically put up both arms to his Daddy Godric, feeling too awful to stand on his own. "Up please."

Godric gave him an astonished look before he complied. "It's the 'Giant Squid', Leo," he corrected gently before he asked, "Why did you want to speak to him, Leo, and what's wrong with you? Are you feeling ill?"

"Ye," Harry replied miserably, not caring about what would happen anymore. He nestled deep into his Daddy's robes and slowly drifted off to sleep. When he woke up a few hours later, he felt much better, warmer, and not so sore any more. He carefully opened his eyes, eyeing his surroundings, and noticed that he was lying in his own, comfortable bed. Suddenly, he could hear footsteps coming nearer and the angry voices of Rowena and Helga penetrated his ears. '_Oh no! I'd better pretend to still be asleep_,' Harry thought. '_They sound so angry_.' He quickly closed his eyes again; trying to breathe in what he thought was even manner and made him look as though he were still asleep.

"You might as well open your eyes, magorinc. I know that you're not really asleep," Helga told the child angrily, waiting until Harry lazily opened one eye before she continued her rage, "What did you think you were doing, Harry? Daddy Salazar put you to bed because you were obviously ill, and you not only disregarded his order to stay in bed but even leave the castle to play in the cold?"

"What you did was very stupid, Lufu," Rowena added. "Not only because Mummy Helga, Daddy Salazar, and I have been very worried about you and had to search all over the castle to try to find you, but also because you made yourself so much worse by staying outside in the cold."

"I'm sorry," Harry replied hoarsely, losing the fight against the tears that had been filling his eyes just waiting for the opportunity to pour down his flushed face.

Knowing that it would take the child at least a week to recover from the light pneumonia he had caught, Helga looked him straight in the eye and said sternly, "Because you were so naughty, you will be grounded for a week, which means no Quidditch, no playing on the grounds or with the students in their common rooms, and no brewing potions."

Harry gave his Mummy a weary look, feeling too sick to really care about the punishment at the moment. "How many times do I have to sleep until it's Christmas?" he asked softly.

"Five nights," Helga replied with confusion, while she pointed her wand at the child to take his temperature, not understanding why Harry suddenly became very upset and started to cry even more. '_Five nights are less than the week that I'm grounded, but I have to brew the pear drops before Christmas for mummy Helga and mummy Rowena_,' he thought frantically.

Rowena put a cool hand on his forehead, trying to calm down the upset child. "Now, Lufu, you must calm down. You have a very high fever, and it will get even worse when you get so upset," she said gently, while her friend continued to check on the boy.

"I must speak to Daddy Salazar," Harry sobbed hoarsely, giving his two mothers a pleading look.

"He is just brewing a few potions for you, Leofost," Helga replied in a calming voice. "Afterwards you may speak to him if you must."

ハリーと幸せの願い

One night, Harry woke up when Helga came to check on him and give him a potion before she went to bed. He immediately closed his eyes again, not wanting to let his Mummy know that he had woken up. '_Since Daddy Salazar said he couldn't help me with the potion for the pear drops for Mummy Helga and Mummy Rowena, I'll just have to brew them on my own_,' he thought as he determinedly crawled out of his bed, pulled his warm robes over his pyjamas, and headed for the Potions classroom in the dungeons.

He carefully chopped the ingredients, knowing how to brew the potion by heart as he had made it so many times during the last five months. An hour later, the finished potion was simmering in the cauldron. '_Now I only have to get the pears, but for that I have to go into the forest_,' he thought wearily, suddenly feeling very tired. '_Maybe I could ask the elves in the kitchen_,' he mused, knowing that the kitchen wasn't too far from the Potions classroom. He quickly cleaned up everything except for the cauldron and made his way to the kitchen.

Only three house elves were in the kitchen since it was the middle of the night. They immediately asked, bowing deeply in front of the child, "What cans we does for Master Harry?"

"Could you perhaps give me a few pears?" Harry asked shyly, giving the elves a hesitant glance.

"Yes, of course," the elves replied, and seconds later Harry found himself holding a huge bowl with pears in his hands.

Harry gratefully thanked the elves and told them that he was making pear drops for his parents and that he didn't want them to know about it. "Don't worries, Master Harry; we won'ts tell anyone that yous was here tonight," he was reassured firmly.

He thankfully returned back to the Potions classroom, where he quickly mashed the pears before he put them into the simmering potion. Afterwards he made drops from half of the liquid, separating the remaining liquid into two cauldrons. In one cauldron he added a spoonful of crushed ginger nuts, knowing that Godric loved ginger; then he put a spoonful of crushed mint leaves into the other, aware of the fact that Salazar liked mint, and quickly finished the pear drops. Very relieved, he filled the drops in four small bags from the pile of bags that they always used, pocketed them and returned to his own room, where he hid his treasures behind the book shelf. Utterly tired but happy he let himself sink back into his comfortable bed and fell asleep immediately, glad that nobody knew about his nightly adventure.

In the morning, he slightly regretted his nightly excursion when he woke up to Rowena and Helga talking about him at his bedside. "I had hoped that I could let him get up for a short time today, but his condition has worsened so much overnight that I even don't know if he'll be able to get up on Christmas," Helga told her friend, sighing deeply.

Fortunately, on Christmas day Harry was lucky and Helga allowed him to join his parents in the Great Hall for breakfast. The day before, Harry had asked Godric to take his presents down to the Great Hall and put them under the Christmas tree, glad that he had managed to add labels with the receiver's name on them in a rare unsupervised moment. '_I just hope they won't ask me when I made the drops_,' Harry thought worriedly, when he sat on his chair between Helga and Rowena in the Great Hall.

To Harry's luck, nobody asked him as Godric and the two women assumed he had brewed the drops together with Salazar, who didn't give the child away in front of the others but gave Harry a menacing look and whispered, "We will have a talk later, Mister."

Like the year before, Harry received a lot of presents from Father Christmas; among them were several books and new potions ingredients that made the child's face light up. When everyone had unwrapped their presents, Godric suggested that they should all head outside for a walk around the grounds as it was an uncharacteristically warm and beautiful winter day. Harry gave Helga a pleading look, knowing that he was still supposed to be grounded.

Helga unobtrusively waved her wand at the child before she told him, "You may accompany us as long as you promise to stay near me and not run around." She quickly conjured warm robes and a scarf for the child, forcing him to wear both before they headed outside.

"Can I sit down here on the edge of the lake?" Harry asked a few minutes later, and Rowena conjured a bench just next to the water where they sat down for an hour until Salazar suddenly called Harry over to him from the edge of the forest. When Harry gave Helga a questioning glance, she stood up and walked over to her husband, Harry following her slowly.

"Thunderbolt listen," Salazar turned to the boy before he switched to Parseltongue and called, "Amaterasu!"

Suddenly, the branches in the nearby forest moved and the Basilisk's large head appeared from underneath the leaves. "Hello Salazar, hello Salazar's wife, hello Harry," Amaterasu greeted them pleasantly.

"Happy Christmas, Amaterasu," Harry said and sat down on the floor, his back and head against a tree stump, ignoring Helga's frown.

The Basilisk immediately extended her head until it lay on Harry's lap as if she wanted him to pet her. "Go on, Thunderbolt, she wants you to pet her," Salazar encouraged the child, and Harry complied hesitantly, while Salazar motioned his wife to sit down next to Harry. He sat down on Helga's other side, putting an arm around her back and a kiss on her lips before he pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering into her ear.

The two adults remained engrossed with themselves for a few minutes before Amaterasu regained their attention when she suddenly started hissing to Salazar. While Helga turned to Harry, seeing that he had fallen into an exhausted sleep, Salazar listened to his familiar, who told him what she had discovered earlier in the morning.

"I was hunting in the forest this morning and met a griffin lady. She told me that she has a baby cub of a few months. Her cub has obviously told her that he could feel his familiar around here or even in the castle, and she was asking me if I could help her find her cub's familiar," Amaterasu told Salazar. "However, I have no idea how I could help the griffin."

"How can we help them?" Salazar replied questioningly, absentmindedly noticing that Helga and Harry walked back into the castle. "I'd say you could bring the griffins into the castle, but the problem is that you're only allowed in the castle during the holidays when there are no students around, and that wouldn't help the cub to find his familiar. Maybe we could introduce the griffins to Godric and ask him to take them into the castle to meet everyone and find out whom it feels is its human familiar."

Amaterasu vanished behind the leaves while Salazar went to fetch Godric. A few minutes later, two humans, one basilisk, and two griffins met again at the same spot.

_tbc…_

Old English used in this chapter:  
Magorinc: young man

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	6. The Griffin Cub

**6 – The Griffin Cub**

After a short talk with Amaterasu and Salazar translating between the griffins and Godric, Godric led the griffin cub into the castle. He had pointed out to him that only a few students were residing in the castle due to the Christmas holidays; however, the griffin had assured him that his human familiar was at the moment in the castle. Godric decided to lead the griffin into the Great Hall since it was nearly lunchtime, and everyone remaining in the castle, except Harry, would be to the Great Hall anyway. Hopefully the griffin cub would be able to quickly find who his human familiar was that way.

While everyone was eating lunch, the griffin walked around the table, sniffing here and there before it sat down behind Godric's chair, patiently waiting for the man to finish his lunch.

"He obviously hasn't found his human familiar yet," Salazar offered.

"Then it has to be Harry," Rowena spoke up. "Everyone else is here."

"It couldn't be a house elf, could it?" Aldwin, one of the students, who had remained over the holidays, suggested.

Everyone laughed at the thought, but Helga replied patiently, "You're right, Aldwin; there is a slight possibility that he is looking for a house elf. Professor Gryffindor, maybe you should take the cub up to Harry's room first, but please don't wake him up, and if it isn't Harry, then take the cub to the kitchen. Maybe it'll find its luck there."

The five students laughed, and everyone watched the small griffin interestedly. It had a very light orange fur and had beautiful shiny wings that were an extremely light yellow. Suddenly, the griffin cub stood up, sniffed for an instant and dashed through the Great Hall until it came to a sliding halt just in front of the closed doors. Godric went after the animal and carefully opened the door which the griffin was impatiently waiting in front of, ready to dash away, as soon as it was opened for him. The griffin moved lighting fast out the door and took a left turn, bounding up the stairs so fast that it was difficult for the headmaster to keep up. However, he could already imagine where the griffin cub was headed.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry woke up because he had to use the bathroom. Two minutes later he was back in his bed, snuggling deep under his covers. '_I hope one of my Mummies or Daddies will come home soon to keep me company. It's so boring, but I still feel too icky to do anything_,' he whiningly thought. '_Maybe I should try to sleep a little more and maybe I'll feel better when I wake up_.' He lazily closed his eyes again and was just about to fall asleep when something jumped onto his belly with a thud. Harry let out a short cry and looked horrified at the 'thing' on his belly. '_It looks similar to a lion_!' he thought terrified. '_And it has wings!_' He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to snuggle even deeper under his covers when he suddenly heard a voice speaking in his mind.

'_Hello my little cub, you're my human familiar_.'

'_Who are you?_' Harry replied flabbergasted.

'_I'm the small griffin cub that's sitting on your belly. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. I've just bonded with you; that's why we're able to talk like this_.'

Harry put up a hand to his forehead, trying to rub his headache away, before he hesitantly opened his eyes, taking in the beautiful griffin that had large light purple eyes, which were looking at him.

'_Can you pet my head too please? I'd like that so much_,' he heard the griffin's voice again and sighed before he carefully extended a hand to the animal's head and started to pet him, causing the griffin cub to purr with pleasure.

An instant later, Godric entered the room, followed closely by Helga, who had been notified by a Spell, which she had placed on Harry, that the child had awakened. "Is everything all right, Leo?" Godric asked, while Helga walked over to the boy and pointed her wand at his head, muttering something to herself.

"Yes," Harry answered uncertainly. "It's a griffin cub, and it told me that it has bonded with me," he explained to his parents.

"Ah, but Leo, that's wonderful," Godric said, smiling at the child.

"Congratulations, Leofost. I assume, that is probably the best Christmas present you received," Helga added.

Harry gave them a nervous smile. '_I don't really know what it means to have a griffin as a familiar though_,' he thought. '_At least he can move around the castle more easily than a basilisk can_,' he suddenly realized, relieved.

During the next few days, until Harry had completely recovered, the griffin didn't leave his side, except for one time when Harry was deeply asleep for the night. The one time he left was for a short while to visit his mother in the forest. The griffin told him many things about the forest in which he had been born in.

'_We often meet with a herd of unicorns that live nearby. They are our friends.'_

'_What's a unicorn?_' Harry asked interestedly.

'_They are like magical horses, just like I'm kind of a magical lion.'_

Harry frowned. '_What's exactly the difference between a magical animal and a non-magical one?_'

'_Hmm,'_ the griffin made thoughtfully. _'The difference is that all magical animals are able to communicate with each other, but non-magical animals can't communicate with other species.'_

'_So, are you able to speak with every kind of animal, even with the Basilisk and the Grand Squid?_' Harry asked excitedly.

'_Yes, of course,'_ the griffin confirmed.

One day, when Salazar joined the child in his room, he asked, "And have you already thought of a name for your griffin, Thunderbolt?"

Harry looked at his father, utterly shocked. '_Oh no, I haven't even thought about that_,' he thought horrified. "No," he said hesitantly. He turned to his familiar and asked, "What would you like to be named?"

'_Oh, that's up to you, my human. I'm going to call you 'Cub' as you're something like my cub_,' the small griffin answered, and Harry quickly explained to his Daddy Salazar what the animal had told him.

"Then how about you call him 'lion' in a different language, Thunderbolt? If you want to do that we can call Mummy Rowena; she knows German and French."

Harry's face lit a bit. "That's a great idea," he replied thoughtfully.

"Rowena!" Salazar shouted for his friend that was in the other room and was entering the room a few seconds later.

Rowena gave Harry and her friend a confused look before she asked, "What's wrong? How are you, Lufu?"

"I'm fine, Mummy, do you know how to say 'lion' in German?"

Rowena gave him a proud look and replied, "That's 'Löwe' in German."

"Thank you, Mummy Rowena. Is it all right for you if I call you 'Löwi'?" he turned to the griffin.

"Löwe," Rowena corrected the child.

'_Yes, Cub, I like that name, but I like 'Löwi' better_,' Löwi replied, smiling at the boy.

"All right, he told me he prefers 'Löwi'. Thanks Mummy Rowena."

ハリーと幸せの願い

A few days after Harry was finally allowed to leave his room, the griffin told him, '_Sit on my back, Cub!_' When Harry anxiously complied, his familiar gave him a piggyback ride throughout the castle.

At first, Harry was a bit afraid, especially when they came near the grand staircase, but after a few minutes he started to really enjoy his trip. "Oh, this is so much fun, go on Löwi, faster, faster!" Harry shouted excitedly.

After an hour of riding on his familiar's back through the castle, Harry suddenly remembered that he had been supposed to head directly to the Potions classroom. '_Oh no!_' he thought terrified. '_Daddy Salazar will be so angry_.'

'_Hold on, Cub, I'll get you there quicker by flying, so hold on_,' Löwi told him and flapped his wings twice, which caused Harry to flinch back, startled. '_It's all right, Cub, don't worry, I promise I will get you there safe and sound_.' An instant later, the griffin took off and flew all the way down to the dungeons with a frightened Harry on his back. Finally, they arrived in front of the Potions classroom, and Löwi carefully let Harry hop of his back onto the ground.

Harry hastily knocked at the door and was called in within seconds. He noticed immediately that Daddy Salazar was very angry. "A Potions lab is not a place for a griffin. Please tell your familiar to wait for you elsewhere until we're finished," the teacher told his son strictly.

Harry gave Löwi an apologizing look, but the griffin replied, '_That's all right, Cub. I will go into the forest and visit my Mummy while you're here_.'

"All right then, see you later," Harry replied, slightly relieved, and turned back to his Daddy Salazar.

"Sit down," Salazar ordered the child, and Harry complied anxiously.

'_Is he angry?_' he mused worriedly, but his father's face was void any emotions.

"You were supposed to be here two hours ago," a stern voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled, averting his eyes to the stone floor. When his father didn't reply, he hesitantly looked back up to the man.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation what you've been doing during the last two hours that kept you from arriving here on time," Salazar said sternly.

"Oh, Löwi told me to climb his back and let me ride on his back throughout the castle. It was so much fun!" Harry explained excitedly but quietened quickly when he noticed his father's angry glare.

"When we fix a time, you will be where you are supposed to be," Salazar growled. "Is that understood?"

"Yes," Harry replied in a small voice.

"Yes what?" the man asked, obsidian eyes boring into Harry's face.

"Yes, Daddy Salazar," Harry answered quietly, trying to ignore his familiar's voice asking him if his Daddy was angry at him for being late.

"Your punishment will be to write lines for me. You will write ten times, 'I must not be late.' Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Daddy Salazar," Harry answered, relieved that he only had to write ten lines. '_I suppose I'm lucky_,' he thought, '_Last week I heard him tell a student to clean a dozen extremely dirty cauldrons without magic_.'

His father's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "There is something else I still need to discuss with you." When Harry gave him an enquiring look, he continued, "When and with whom did you make the fruit drops you gave us for Christmas?"

Harry's face turned white. "Um… eh… Imadethemherealone," he finished quickly and hardly audible.

"Excuse me? You did what?"

"I brewed them on my own. It's easy since we've made them so many times before," Harry replied, his voice a bit louder.

Salazar sighed. "Thunderbolt, look at me!" he demanded. When Harry anxiously averted his eyes to face his father's dark eyes, he told him firmly, "You will never, ever, brew a potion all on your own again without my permission, is that clear?"

"Yes, Daddy Salazar," Harry breathed, rolling his eyes. '_I have brewed that potion so many times, and I'm not a baby anymore_,' he thought, getting upset.

"Don't you dare roll your eyes at me! Moreover, care to explain when exactly you did brew said potion. Where was I at the time?"

"I asked you, and you told me you couldn't brew it with me, so I came down here while everyone was asleep in bed," Harry replied; he couldn't help feeling a bit bold. '_But I just had to brew them at that time; it was only one or two days before Christmas_,' he tried to calm his bad consciousness.

"Do I understand you correctly; you came here in the middle of the night while you were sick with pneumonia, and Mummy Helga had told you to stay in bed even during the day, let alone at night when you were supposed to be sleeping?" Salazar enquired angrily.

"Yes, Daddy," Harry replied shortly, trying to fight back the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"That was very naughty, Thunderbolt. I know for a fact that Mummy Helga was very worried about you when you had a relapse two days before Christmas without any understandable reason as to why. As punishment you will write ten times, 'I must not brew potions on my own, and I must listen to Mummy Helga at all times.' Moreover, we won't be brewing any Potions today, and instead you will help Mummy Helga in the hospital room all afternoon. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Daddy Salazar," Harry replied, unsuccessfully trying to fight back his tears. '_I really didn't want to anger Mummy Helga or make her worry; she's always so nice to me_,' he thought miserably, while the tears started to run down his face.

"Can… Can you… please… not tell… Mummy Helga… what I did?" Harry sobbed, giving his Daddy a pleading glance.

The teacher remained silent for a moment before he finally gave in. "All right, Thunderbolt. We will only tell her that you have been very naughty, but we won't tell her explicitly what you did to warrant the punishment. However, be sure that if you ever do such a stunt again, I shall tell her as well as Mummy Rowena and Daddy Godric."

"Thank you, Daddy," Harry said gratefully, feeling very relieved, and sat down in front of the parchment that Salazar had placed on the table together with a quill and began writing his lines.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next several weeks, Harry, who had never been allowed to go out onto the grounds on his own, was allowed outside if Löwi was with him. One day, Löwi suggested taking Harry into the forest in order to meet his Mummy. Harry was a bit hesitant as he knew that he wasn't supposed to go into the forest. '_Are you afraid to go into the forest?_' Löwi asked curiously, feeling his human familiar's hesitance.

"Um, yes a bit," Harry admitted. '_And I don't want to write lines for Daddy Salazar again because of doing something that I'm not supposed to do_,' he thought.

'_Can't you transform into your phoenix form yet?_' the griffin enquired as he had watched Harry doing his Animagus lessons with Rowena several times.

"No, I can only transform my hands and feet, but not my head and body," Harry replied with frustration lacing his voice.

'_All right, then just sit on my back, and I shall take you into the forest and bring you back after our visit_,' Löwi stated, and Harry obediently climbed on his back. Afraid to hurt himself while Löwi flew among the trees, Harry carefully lay down on his familiar's back, squinting his eyes closed. Only a few minutes later, Harry could feel the griffin suddenly becoming excited before he started to let out many words in a language that Harry couldn't understand. '_Look, Cub, this is my Mummy_,' the griffin explained happily, and Harry sat up, opened his eyes, and greeted the larger griffin with a huge smile. After a conversation that felt fairly long to Harry as he always had to wait for Löwi to translate for him, they made their way back to the castle.

When they arrived on the Hogwarts grounds, the students were just playing Quidditch on the new Quidditch pitch that had been built after eleven-year-old Harry had come from the future more than a year ago and had told the teachers how to play Quidditch properly and how the Quidditch pitch had to be built.

Löwi flew around the pitch for a while, so that Harry could watch the students' play from the air. Suddenly, Harry started to giggle and told his familiar, "Look, Löwi, over there! Can you fly over there, so that I can catch the Snitch? Oh, please!"

'_Cub, you are too funny_,' the griffin giggled back and took a straight course to the spot where Harry had seen the Snitch, and two minutes later, Harry stood up on Löwi's back, extended his hand and caught his favourite little ball before he sat down again and showed the Snitch to the stunned students who were playing Quidditch, or watching from the stands.

"Well done, Harry, and you've got yourself a nice, living broomstick there," he was commended by the students, who always admired Harry flying on the beautiful griffin.

"You better not let your parents see you standing on Löwi's back," Hildred reprimanded the child. "What you did is very dangerous, Harry."

"No, it's all right, and I'll be careful," Harry replied and motioned his griffin to take into the air again since he wanted to try out some other stunts that he had just thought of.

An hour later, Hildred hesitantly knocked at the door of the Headmaster's office. She was immediately invited to enter the room, noticing that all the teachers were just having a meeting in the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Professors," she apologized. "However, I think you should see what Harry is doing outside on the Quidditch pitch."

The four teachers gave the girl, who was a very responsible Ravenclaw fifth year, an astonished look. Rowena was the first to react and stepped over to the window that currently showed a view overlooking the lake. She tapped the window once with his wand and stated, "Aspectio Quidditch pitch."

At once, the view changed to one overlooking the Quidditch pitch, and Rowena let out a huge gasp before she darted for the door.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	7. Trick Flying

**7 – Trick Flying**

Helga, Godric, and Salazar darted for the spot in front of the window that Rowena had just vacated and looked at the view of the Quidditch pitch, frantically searching for Harry. Suddenly, Helga's face turned completely white, and she pointed to a spot outside and whispered, "Look! There! You have to stop him!"

Godric and Salazar followed her arm and saw Harry performing a handstand on the griffin's back, twenty meters above the ground. Salazar put his arm around his wife's shoulder and despite knowing better said calmingly, "It's all right, Harry knows what he's doing, and Löwi wouldn't let him get hurt. In the worst case scenario if he fell off, Löwi would be able to catch him before he hit the ground. So don't worry, everything is all right."

Harry was enjoying himself immensely. In order to catch the Snitch, he had stood up on his griffin's back without even thinking about it. Only when Hildred pointed out to him that it was dangerous to stand on the griffin's back, Harry had begun to think she was right, and Löwi had assured him that it actually wasn't dangerous since he was able to look after his Cub and wouldn't let him get hurt. So Harry started to try standing on his hands, enjoying how a soft breeze caressed his body while Löwi flew around the Quidditch pitch with him. '_Oh, this is even better than riding a broom, it feels absolutely wonderful_,' he thought excitedly, ignoring the watching students' gasps and laughter completely.

In the meantime, Rowena had reached the Quidditch pitch and called Harry to come down, and Helga slowly relaxed when she saw Löwi land on the ground. Godric turned to Hildred, who had alerted them of the fact that Harry was doing something dangerous outside, and thanked her profoundly.

At the same time, Harry stood in front of his Mummy Rowena, who was obviously extremely upset. He hesitantly looked up into her green eyes that had taken on a darker shade due to her anger. "Did you even think about what could have happened if you had fallen?" she asked sternly.

"I was fine. I was only playing on Löwi," Harry mumbled in a small and hardly understandable voice. "He told me it would be all right."

'_It's no problem, Cub, even if you fell, I'd be able to catch you since I'm very fast_,' the griffin told him calmingly.

"I.do.not.wish.to.see.such.a.stunt.ever.again. Do you understand me?" Rowena asked angrily, and Harry gave her a small nod, careful not to promise anything. '_I have to be careful that nobody's watching when I try to do more tricks_,' he tried to remember.

"Please go to your room and go to bed. I will ask a house elf to bring dinner to you later. You will not leave your room until tomorrow morning. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mummy Rowena," Harry replied quietly and hurried back into the castle, while Rowena turned to the students.

'_It's all right, Cub, you can climb onto my back again_,' Löwi told the child, and Harry quickly mounted the griffin that flew up the huge staircase to Harry's room.

Harry spent the rest of the day sitting on his bed reading books and talking to Löwi. Although he enjoyed himself a great deal while performing tricks with Löwi, he couldn't help feeling he was being punished by Mummy Rowena. Whenever he thought of his Mummy, he was on the verge of breaking in to tears. '_I really didn't want Mummy Rowena to become so angry at me_,' Harry thought sadly. '_And she must be really angry since she didn't show up even once to visit me_,' he realized. '_Normally, when I'm in my room because I'm sick or something, they hardly leave me alone at all, but today, nobody has come to keep me company. Probably, Mummy Rowena even told the others to leave me alone today. What if…_' He suddenly let out a huge gasp.

'_What if they don't want me anymore because of what I did? And because they were so angry? What if they send me away?_' he thought and started to panic.

Löwi tried to calm him down, '_It's all right, Cub, calm down. Don't get so upset_,' unfortunately without even the slightest success.

Harry cried so much that suddenly his sobs turned into coughs, and Harry felt it difficult to breathe. He was so engrossed in his grief that he didn't even notice when Löwi left his side, only to return a few minutes later dragging Salazar by the sleeve with him. Suddenly, his Daddy Salazar's calm voice penetrated his mind. "Harry, calm down, it's all right. Here, drink this, Thunderbolt."

He felt something cool pressed against his lips, and he thankfully gulped down the cool liquid, immediately feeling it easier to breathe. Harry slowly opened his eyes, seeing his Daddy sitting next to him on the edge of his bed. "'m sorry," Harry mumbled in a small, hoarse voice.

"It's all right, Thunderbolt," Daddy Salazar reassured him. "Can you please tell me what caused you to become so upset?"

Harry let out a small cough before he began to explain, "I thought you had abandoned me and were going to send me away because you were so angry at me for playing on Löwi's back while he was flying."

Salazar couldn't believe his ears. "We WHAT?" he blurted out. "Harry, you're our son now. Why would we send you away? We love you, and you will always be our son, as long as you want and need us," he replied, astonished by Harry's worry. "Moreover, we are not angry at you. Well, you gave your mummies a big fright, that's true, but Mummy Rowena has punished you by sending you to your room, and even now she isn't angry anymore. Apart from that, Daddy Godric and I think that what you did was actually quite funny, and we believe that Löwi would be able to help you if something happened." He leaned over to place a kiss on the child's forehead and stood up determinedly. "I will ask Mummy Helga to come and kiss you good night, and then you try to go to sleep, and when you wake up in the morning, everything will be forgotten, all right?"

"Yes Daddy Salazar, thank you," Harry mumbled tiredly, already closing his eyes. He didn't even notice Helga and Rowena entering his room together, nor did he feel Helga check on him and kiss him before she carefully tucked him in.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next several months, Harry practised a lot of his tricks, doing handstands, back flips and other tricks while on Löwi's back or even on horseback during his horseback riding lessons with Godric. He was very careful though to only let Helga and Rowena see his tricks on Löwi when the griffin remained on the ground.

Rowena tried to keep the child busy, giving him Animagus lessons whenever her schedule allowed it. So far, Harry had already managed to transform his entire body – except for his head. He tried again and again but just wasn't able to transform his head. Seeing how frustrated the child was Rowena made him sit down after just two tries one day.

"Lufu, please listen to me for a moment. The Animagus transformation is one of the most difficult things to learn in the area of Transfiguration. It is so difficult that less than one percent of our sixth and seventh year students are able to manage it. You're only five years old, Lufu."

"Nearly six," Harry interrupted his mother quickly.

"Yes, all right, you're nearly six and already a big boy, that's true." Rowena sighed, giving her son a fond smile at the same time. "Nevertheless, try to think about it. The task is very difficult if not impossible for the students, who are much older than you. So, don't you think the fact that you're already able to transform your whole body except for your head is absolutely brilliant?"

"Hmm, yes, but…" He slowly trailed off.

"No, Lufu, no but," Rowena replied sternly. "Because it is so difficult, you have to be really patient and try again and again. However, you've already come so far that I'm sure you'll be able to transform by the time you turn six."

"Really?" Harry asked in a small voice but couldn't help his eyes starting to twinkle hopefully. '_Oh, I hope so much that Mummy Rowena is right. I'd love to fly in my phoenix form. It must be absolutely terrific_.'

At the beginning of the summer holidays, Rowena's prediction came true, and Harry finally managed the Animagus transformation. Rowena, who had already seen older Harry's phoenix form once before, nodded contentedly at the sight of the beautiful sand phoenix that had light brown feathers with rainbow coloured back wings and of course Harry's brilliant green eyes.

"Harry, did older Harry tell you about your Animagus form?" Rowena enquired quietly, giving the child a searching look.

Harry remained pensive for a moment before he shook his head. "I'm not sure. He said something that he can time travel or something." He looked at his mother questioningly.

"Yes, Harry, a sand phoenix is an extremely rare animal. Anyway, a sand phoenix is not only able to flash to other places as all phoenixes do, but also to move through the sands of time. That is how your older self came here to see Mummy Helga the year before last." Rowena smiled at the child, who listened intensely. "So far, wizarding history has only heard of one other sand phoenix Animagus, which was Marlin, grand Merlin's grandfather. He is said to have travelled into Merlin's time and back twice to advise his grandson about something."

"Yes, and he told me that he flashed back home for the Christmas Holidays," Harry threw in excitedly. "So, when I turn eleven, I'll just flash into the future to attend Hogwarts then; and during the holidays I can come back home, right?"

"Yes, Lufu," Rowena replied, smiling at her son's excitement. "Now, Lufu, I want you to transform again and try to walk on your bird's feet before you can attempt to fly or flash."

Harry gave his mother a short nod and transformed into his phoenix form, very glad that it worked immediately. He carefully took a few unsteady steps, groaning, when he fell onto the floor after every other step. After twenty minutes of practise, he finally managed to walk on his little birdie feet and carefully flapped his wings.

"No, Lufu, I think that's enough for today," Rowena ended the lesson, assuming that the child must be exhausted. "You can try to fly tomorrow."

#No, I'm fine# Harry contradicted. #Can I just…#

"No!" Rowena interrupted him sternly, able to understand the phoenix' trilling because she was a magical raven Animagus and as such could understand Harry's phoenix song. "Please transform back now, Lufu, and we'll try again tomorrow."

Harry grudgingly obeyed, glad that it was summer holidays, so that he could have his next lesson directly following breakfast the next day. After a bit of practise, he finally managed to fly, and Rowena transformed into her raven form and took Harry out onto the grounds to fly together, which the child enjoyed greatly.

もうすぐ六才

Soon, Harry's sixth birthday arrived. During the days before the big event, Harry was very excited and even made a calendar on a scrap piece of parchment, where he checked off each day how many more times he still had to sleep until it was his birthday. On the day before his birthday, he even went to bed straight after dinner, believing what Daddy Salazar had told him. "The earlier you go to sleep, the earlier it will be your birthday."

However, when Harry woke up for the first time and hurried through the open door into Mummy Rowena's and Daddy Godric's quarters, it was only shortly after midnight, and the four teachers were still drinking their nightly tea together.

"Oh, Leofost, it's much too early to get up. Let me take you back to bed," Helga told him softly, trying not to let the child see her amusement, when she tucked him in and kissed him good night for the second time that night.

When Harry got once again, only Salazar was still up. "Daddy, I'm too excited to sleep," Harry told him, yawning.

"All right, Thunderbolt. Do you want to sleep in Mummy Helga's and my bed?" Salazar suggested, giving the child a piercing look.

Harry gave him a tired nod and crawled into his parents' bed to lie down next to Mummy Helga, who unconsciously pulled the child close. In his mother's arms, it was so warm and comfortable that Harry managed to sleep until his parents got up in the morning. Like the years before, the four teachers had transformed the Great Hall into a huge playground for Harry, and while they waited at the breakfast table for the birthday boy to sit down, Harry excitedly ran through the Hall, climbing a tree here and sliding down a slide there, ignoring his stomach's rumbling complaints.

After an hour of waiting, Godric called Fawkes and instructed him to fly up to where Harry was busying himself in a huge tree and tell him that he wouldn't get any presents if he didn't immediately show up for breakfast.

#Hey nestling# Fawkes called out to Harry. #The grumpy one told me to let you know that you won't get any toys if you don't come to eat your grains in a flash.#

"Ah all right," Harry replied and lay down on Löwi's back, playfully slinging his arms around the griffin's head, so that his familiar that had been playing with him on the tree could take him down to the ground where everyone couldn't help laughing at the sight.

Harry received lots of presents for his birthday. From Salazar he received a new Potions kit with new ingredients that were not only intended for the brewing of fruit drops and such, but also for healing potions, which the teacher intended to teach Harry during the coming months. Salazar also gave Harry a book that was written in Parseltongue and contained a lot of confidential information about Hogwarts. From Godric Harry received a child's sword practise, as the headmaster had made plans to start teaching the child sword fighting in the near future as far as it was possible with a child's practice sword at first. The man also gave Harry a larger broom that Harry eyed eagerly, pictures of himself doing tricks on the broom coming to life in his mind.

From Helga Harry received several children's books and toys as well as a few handmade T-shirts and trousers, which she had made after the samples that older Harry had been wearing on the day he came to visit them at Christmas. Rowena gave Harry a perch for his room, where he could sit when he was in his phoenix form as well as several phoenix treats, like those that Godric always provided for Fawkes.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very good on that day, so Harry wasn't able to try out his new broom. However, the playground in the Great Hall was a huge success, and Harry occupied himself for the rest of the day. Late in the afternoon, Harry was just tiredly sitting next to Löwi on a large branch at the top of a tree, when suddenly a raven landed next to him.

"Hi Mummy Rowena," Harry said happily, only to add softly, "May I stroke your head feathers?" knowing that he absolutely loved getting his head feathers stroked when he was in his phoenix form. His mother agreed, and Harry occupied himself stroking the raven's head for a few minutes until the raven moved her head aside and shook her feathers in order to get to the reason she had sought him out to begin with.

#Harry, we want to take you to Diagon Alley today,# Rowena started to explain but was interrupted soon.

"Diagonally? What does that mean?" Harry asked confused.

The raven chuckled and explained, #Diagon Alley is a magical shopping area, the biggest one in Britain. Now, we would like to take you there for your birthday dinner. What do you think?#

Harry gave her an excited glance before he replied, "Oh yes, I'd like that very much. Can we go immediately?"

#Yes, let's get down from this tree and we shall leave# raven Rowena replied and flew down from the huge tree, closely followed by Harry on Löwi's back.

A few minutes later, after everyone was ready to leave, Rowena, Helga, and Salazar Apparated, with Harry, to Diagon Alley, for dinner while Godric chose to remain behind at the castle, since he didn't dare leave the castle empty and unguarded, even though it was still the summer holidays. While Salazar pulled Harry close to Apparate together with the child, he told him, "As the students may have told you, normally, people cannot Apparate within Hogwarts. However, we as the founders can Apparate everywhere, even within the castle, but we do not wish others to know this in order to be able to use it as an emergency method. Do you understand me, Thunderbolt?"

"Yes," Harry whispered back. "So, what do I have to do when I want to Apparate?" he then asked shyly.

"You as the heir of all of us will be able to Apparate as well," Salazar promised the child. "However, Apparition is very tiring, so you'll have to wait a few years before we'll teach you. All right, Thunderbolt?"

Harry gave his father a contented nod and whispered, "Thank you, Daddy."

Harry was very excited as he had never been to Diagon Alley before. There were lots of different magical shops on both sides of the street, selling anything and everything one could imagine. Helga had put a Charm on all of them, so that they wouldn't get wet in the heavy rain that worsened as the day progressed. Harry enjoyed their excursion very much, but when they returned to Hogwarts later in the evening, he was so exhausted that he crawled into his bed and fell asleep instantly.

飛ぶのが楽しい

In the morning, the weather had cleared up and Salazar took Harry out onto the grounds directly following breakfast, so that Harry could test his new broom. He soon noticed that he could do a lot more with the larger broom than with his old small broom that had several safety Charms on it, which prevented it from doing quick dives and other interesting things. Harry spent several hours trying out what he could do with his new broom and felt like he was in seventh heaven. That feeling was only disturbed when Salazar suddenly caught up with him, telling him, "It's time to come down, Thunderbolt. We have to appear in the Great Hall for lunch if we don't want to be grounded for the rest of the day by Mummy Helga."

Harry grudgingly flew down to the ground and got off his broom, and began shouting, and jumping up and down the ground with both feet, "I don't want to eat lunch, I'm not hungry. I want to continue flying!"

Salazar gave the child a menacing look. "Stop that immediately, otherwise I won't take you flying for a whole week," he threatened, forcing Harry to stop a temper tantrum before he could continue to rant his displeasure.

During the remaining weeks of the holidays, Salazar took Harry flying every day, except for a few days when it just rained too much, and Harry soon became proficient with his new broom. Harry knew that he was able to fly much faster now with his new broom than on his old broom, and he could hardly wait for the students to return, so he could play Quidditch with them, knowing that the student Seekers would hardly have a chance against him on his new, and faster broom.

ほうきでの曲芸

Finally, the students returned, and Harry was allowed to participate in their Quidditch practises. On the day of the first practise, Harry was so excited that he woke up very early in the morning. He quickly scrambled out of bed, got himself dressed, and silently left his room, with his broom in hand. He headed out for the Quidditch pitch and mounted his broom. He quickly flew a few laps, making deep dives where he would nearly touch the ground before he pulled up again in order to catch his toy Snitch, noticing that the morning air was very cold. '_Oh, it's really getting cold. I have to ask Mummy Rowena if that is already autumn; I thought it was still summer_,' he mused while he went into his next dive, not noticing the many eyes that were watching him from the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor common rooms.

'_Maybe I have to move a bit on my broom to get warmer_,' he thought and proceeded to do some of the tricks he had practised on Löwi during the last few weeks. '_It's not a big difference if I do them on Löwi or on my new broom_,' he thought, while he had one hand and one foot on his broom, trying to fly into the direction of his Snitch. However, when he accidentally pulled his right hand off the broom in order to catch the Snitch, he lost the grip on his broom, and the students, who had been watching him from the windows of their common rooms, watched in horror as the child fell to the ground, where he showed no signs of moving.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	8. Prank Time

**8 – Prank Time**

'_Oh, I have to transform into my phoenix form_,' Harry thought while he felt himself tumbling through the air, but before he could even begin to transform he already crashed painfully to the ground. He was only aware of the extreme pain in his head and ribs for a moment before everything went black.

A few minutes later, Löwi appeared by his side, not really knowing how to help his cub, and quickly flew back into the castle to get help. He returned with Salazar at the same time when the first students were leaving the castle, rushing over to the unconscious child. Salazar quickly scooped Harry up into his arms before he sat back on Löwi's back and told him to hurry to the hospital room, knowing that Helga would be there. From the students' excited shouting he could very well imagine what had happened on the Quidditch pitch only minutes before and let out a deep sigh.

In the hospital room, he carefully laid his child on the bed nearest to Helga's office before he called out for his wife, who came over hurriedly. Her face immediately turned white as a ghost when she saw her son lying on a bed unconscious. She quickly waved her wand over the child, trying hard to fight back the tears that threatened spill from her eyes at any moment. "What happened, Sal?" she finally asked, horrified, while she started to tend to the child's injuries.

Salazar sighed. "As far as I know from the students' babbling on my way here Harry must have done his dangerous stunts, however not on Löwi, but on his broom," he explained in a soft voice. "How is he, sweetheart?" he added with obvious concern colouring his voice.

"He has several broken ribs, his left wrist is broken, and he has a bad concussion, which I don't like at all, as it is not the first time," Helga quickly explained before she motioned her husband to step away, so that she could once again concentrate on healing the child.

A quick look at his watch told Salazar that it was time to head to the Great Hall in order to have a quick breakfast as lessons were going to start in thirty minutes. Knowing that his son was in best possible hands with his wife, he quickly headed down to the Great Hall that was buzzing with the students excited chattering.

"What happened, Salazar?" Godric and Rowena asked as soon as he took his seat at the Head table. "There is a rumour that Harry was injured this morning. Is that true?" Rowena enquired worriedly.

"The students obviously know more than I," Salazar growled. "Maybe they saw what he was doing from their common rooms. I didn't know anything until Löwi came to me and had me get on his back and take me to Harry. When I arrived he was already unconscious."

Rowena determinedly waved Hildred over to the Head table, and the girl filled them in about what had been seen from the common room windows.

ハリーと幸せの願い

As Harry's mind slowly returned to consciousness he let out a small groan at the pain in his head. '_What happened?_' he thought anxiously. '_Was I hit in the head by something?_' he mused, when suddenly he suddenly remembered exactly what had occurred that morning and he let out another groan thinking of the trouble he was going to be in. '_How could I've been so stupid to try that on a broom?_' All of a sudden, his mother's voice penetrated his ear. "Can you open your eyes for me, Leofost?"

Harry lazily opened his eyes, seeing that he was lying in the middle of his parents' bed, where he was always allowed to sleep between Helga and Salazar when he was sick. He felt his head being raised a bit and a cold phial pressed against his lips. Harry obediently swallowed and gave his mother a grateful glance, when he slowly felt his spitting headache recede.

"Harry, you must stay in bed and try not to move your head too much. The broken ribs you got when you fell from your broom have already healed while you were unconscious, but you have a bad concussion, which will probably take a week to heal completely, and you still have quite a fever. You can either stay here during the day, or I can take you with me to the hospital room."

"I want to stay with you, Mummy," Harry whispered anxiously. "I'm sorry, Mummy."

"I hope that you're sorry, Leofost, and I expect that you will never, ever do such a stunt again. Otherwise I'll be extremely angry. Do you understand me?" Helga asked in a very stern voice

"Yes mummy, I understand." Harry replied in a hardly audible voice, and tears started to run down his cheeks.

Helga lay down next to the child and carefully wiped the tears from his face. "Harry, stop crying; you will only make your condition worse. You gave us quite a fright, but now everything is all right. You will have to stay in bed for a few days, but you'll be fine afterwards. As long as you don't do it again, I won't punish you, since you're already punished enough by being sick, and confined to bed."

Harry gave his mother an anxious nod, noticing that the small movement hurt. "Try not to move your head, Leofost," Helga said softly, placing a cool cloth on his forehead.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Unfortunately, Rowena didn't take the matter as easily as Helga. She was very angry. "What were you thinking, Lufu? A few weeks ago I told you that I did not want you doing tricks on Löwi. Doing your tricks on your broom is even more dangerous; when you do tricks on Löwi you at least have him there to possibly catch you if you fall. Since you're a big boy of six years, you should already be able to understand the consequences of doing such perilous stunts. If I ever catch you again doing tricks on either your familiar or your broom, I will take your broom away."

"Yes Mummy Rowena," Harry whispered, feeling very bad for making his mummy so angry.

"All right, Lufu, that's enough about your irresponsible actions. Now tell me how you are. Do you already feel a bit better?"

"My head hurts a lot," Harry admitted in a small voice. "And I feel a bit dizzy. Can you tell me a story, please, Mummy?"

Rowena carefully stroked the child's hot cheeks. "In fact, I have a very good story to tell you.

"_In a cold winter's night, four friends sat around a huge fireplace in a large castle, when suddenly a naked baby appeared outside in the snow. The four friends took the baby in as their son. The baby was unimaginably cute, but extremely shy and could neither walk nor talk properly. But he soon learned a lot of things, and all the people living in the castle couldn't help to start to love the little tyke. The child was very intelligent and a powerful wizard. He soon learned to do magic, brew Potions, and even became an Animagus. However, he sometimes did very dangerous and naughty things that made him hurt himself, and his four parents often worried about the child. One day, when the child was nearly seven years old, he became a big brother. He adored the little baby and helped his mummy a lot by helping to care for his brother or sister_."

Rowena looked at Harry, who had his eyes closed but seemed to be listening intensely. Suddenly, bright green eyes opened and Harry asked excitedly, "Really, Mummy Rowena? Is that true? Will I get a little brother or sister soon?"

"Yes, that's true, Lufu. However, except for Daddy Godric nobody knows about it yet, so please don't tell anyone."

"Of course, Mummy, but I'm soooo happy," Harry replied and drifted off to sleep, a huge smile playing on his lips.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Helga finally allowed Harry to fly again two weeks after the incident, Salazar joined Harry in his room, where he was doing his Math homework. "Hey, Thunderbolt, shall we go flying? Mummy Helga said you may fly if you wish."

Harry gave his Daddy Salazar a hesitant look. "No thank you, Daddy. I'm not allowed to do any more tricks, and just flying is not interesting."

Salazar stared at the child with an open mouth and wide eyes. "Flying is not interesting?" he repeated, astonished. "Do you know what we're going to do, Thunderbolt?" At Harry's questioning glance Salazar added, "We shall play a prank on your mummies for taking away all the fun of flying!"

Harry's eyes lit up and he gave his Daddy a huge smile. "Really? Can we prank them?"

"Yes Thunderbolt, let's do that," Salazar replied determined. "Shall we pay Daddy Godric a visit and ask if he wants to join us on our warpath?"

"Yes," Harry shouted, excitedly jumping up and down, and the two headed down to the headmaster's office. "Daddy Godric, will you help us prank Mummy Rowena and Mummy Helga?" he shouted eagerly, ignoring the fact that two students were sitting in front of the headmaster's desk and exploded with laughter.

"Please do it in the Great Hall at lunchtime or dinnertime, so that we can all have a good laugh," one of them said, giving Harry a huge smile.

"Yes, of course," Harry promised, smiling.

"However, if you tell anyone of this conversation, I will use your limbs as Potions ingredients," Salazar warned the students and led Harry out of the office, after Godric had assured them that he – of course – would love to play a few pranks on their wives.

ハリーと幸せの願い

In the Potions classroom, Salazar showed him a book that looked strange to Harry's eyes. When he eyed the book curiously, Salazar began to laugh. "You can speak Parseltongue, Thunderbolt, can't you? This book is about fun potions written in Parseltongue by myself."

Harry looked at the book, amazed. Now that he knew it was written in Parseltongue, the writing began to make sense. "Daddy Salazar, you wrote the book by yourself?" he asked in awe. "That's amazing!"

"Yes, Thunderbolt. Now look through the book; you will find pictures on the left side and the respective recipes on the right. Is there something that interests you?"

Harry suddenly started to laugh. "Oh, here Daddy Salazar. Can we brew these two potions? The upper one for Mummy Helga and the other one for Mummy Rowena? That will be great fun!"

Salazar gave the excited child an amused look. "All right, Thunderbolt, then let's go into the forest. We have to get the ingredients first."

Together they headed into the forest. While they were looking for birch bark and moon fern, Salazar showed Harry several plants, which were often used as Potions ingredients. "Can't we take a bit of each with us? Then we don't have to come to the forest each time we need something," Harry, who had become tired from the walk, suggested.

Salazar laughed and explained, "With some ingredients we can do that, but others have to be freshly harvested just before we want to use them, or during a certain time. Now, shall we pick up some blackberries for fruit drops? Look, there are lots of them over there."

"Oh yes, please," Harry shouted excitedly, already running over to the bushes his daddy had showed him.

An hour later, they returned to the castle with lots of potions ingredients. Harry's stomach was full of berries, and he had enjoyed the walk very much, knowing that they were collecting the ingredients because they wanted to prank his mummies and make delicious fruit drops.

For the rest of the afternoon, father and son occupied themselves brewing potions. The first potion took quite some time, so that Salazar suggested, "Shall I brew the potion for Mummy Rowena by myself and you make the fruit drops?"

"But we can do the fruit drops later, can't we?" Harry enquired, slightly disappointed not to be able to help with the other potion as well.

Salazar watched a rat running along the wall and replied, "No Harry, we will just manage to brew one of the potions before dinnertime, and as you know after dinner you have to go to bed. I'd say we can make the fruit drops tomorrow, but I'm not sure if your mummies will let you brew something together with me after the stunt we're going to pull tonight."

Large green eyes gave the man an anxious look. "Really, Daddy Salazar? Won't they allow me to brew potions anymore? But they already took the trick flying, they can't forbid me to brew too," Harry contradicted, getting very upset.

"I don't know if they will, I just said it's possible. So, are you going to make the fruit drops."

"Yes, all right," Harry replied and began to brew the drops, even if he had already eaten so many blackberries that afternoon that he could hardly imagine to eat blackberry fruit drops on top of that, but he figured he could save them for later.

The potions were finished shortly before dinner, and Salazar and Harry quickly went to the kitchen and gave the two prank potions to the house elves, so that they could put them into Rowena's and Helga's drinks at the dinner table.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry couldn't help giggling in anticipation as soon as he had sat down at the head table. "What's wrong with you," Helga asked, playfully poking him in the side.

"Ah, nothing Mummy Helga," Harry replied mischievously. "It's just that we went into the forest and ate lots of blackberries. They were absolutely delicious. I also made blackberry drops, all by myself." He pulled a small bag out of his robe pocket and offered them to Helga. "Do you want to try?"

"I would love to try them, Leofost, but not right before dinner. Daddy Godric will call for dinner any minute now."

Short time later, dinner appeared on the table. Harry suddenly noticed that he wasn't hungry at all, due to the excitement and to the many blackberries that were still filling his belly. From the edge of his eyes, he watched his mummies' every move and witnessed how each of them took a sip from their glasses. Mere seconds later, Rowena turned into a huge blue chicken, while Helga was transformed into a pink bunny about the same size. The Great Hall erupted with laughter, which only intensified when Rowena and Helga jumped down from their chairs and ran around the Great Hall until they reached the entrance doors that were unfortunately closed. To Harry's dismay, one of the students stood up and immediately opened the door for them.

"Salazar!" Godric tried to catch his friend's attention. "By the way, how long will the potion last?"

"Ah, well, I suppose about three hours," Salazar answered, smirking.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when they transform back," Godric told him, chuckling.

'Good thing that I'm going to bed right now,' Harry thought, glad that he didn't have to face his angry mummies that evening.

When Harry descended the huge staircase to the Entrance Hall the next morning, he saw a bear enter the castle. '_What's that?_' he thought, panicking and held tight on to his Mummy Helga.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	9. A Visit from the Future

**9 – A Visit from the Future**

"Ah, Helga, Harry, please help me," a dark voice could be heard, and Harry gave the brown bear a frightened look.

"That's obviously not a real bear," Helga quickly explained to Harry.

"I'm Daddy Salazar," the bear added impatiently, causing Harry to giggle happily at his dad.

"Daddy Salazar, how did you do that, are you a bear like I'm a phoenix?"

"No, your Mummy Rowena did this to me. Can one of you please be so kind and transfigure me back?"

"Ah but it's such a nice form, and it really fits you well," Helga replied, laughing. "Maybe after breakfast we'll transfigure you back, but we won't keep the students from having the pleasure of seeing you like this."

"Wait, Daddy, I'll go get you some help," Harry promised, transformed into his phoenix form and flashed right into the Ravenclaw common room, where he quickly changed back and told Hildred, "Please, Hildred, you have to help me transfigure Daddy Salazar back. Mummy Rowena transfigured him into a bear."

"We will help you, but we all want to see him first," one of the boys told Harry, and everyone present in the room was already heading outside in order not to miss any of the fun that was waiting for them.

"All right, can you flash me, Harry?" Hildred enquired, and Harry quickly transformed into his phoenix form and flashed them into the entrance hall.

Hildred raised her wand, and mere seconds later, Salazar was standing in front of them. "Thanks a lot! If you weren't in Rowena's house, I'd even give you House points," he said pensively. "Ah, all right, I know what we're going to do. Today, you may choose which potion you want to brew in class."

"I'd choose blackberry drops," Harry whispered to the older girl. "They are delicious, and I know for a fact that there are blackberries left, which we collected yesterday."

"All right then, blackberry drops please, Professor," Hildred replied, smirking to Harry.

"Well, knowing that my son is already able to brew them on his own, that's definitely seventh year material," Salazar sneered, raising an eyebrow at the head girl. "But well, I let you choose, so we're going to brew blackberry drops. And now let's head to the Great Hall and watch the other professors' disappointment."

Rowena and Helga did indeed look very disappointed when they saw Salazar and Harry enter the Great Hall together. "You little rascal," Rowena whispered to Harry when he took the seat next to her.

"I didn't do anything," Harry pouted, but was unable to hide the happy twinkle in his eyes.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the next few weeks, to the students' great pleasure, the open prank war continued. While the three males pranked the ladies using prank potions, the two female professors fought back with transfiguration. Even Harry was sometimes hit with a prank, but he enjoyed himself so much that he didn't mind running around as a rabbit for a few hours, and would take to hiding so they couldn't change him back.

The whole school took an immense pleasure in their teachers' prank war, and at the end of the school year, the seventh year students managed to brew a potion and give it to the house elves in order to change everyone sitting at the head table into monkeys. Fortunately, Hildred took pity on Harry, thinking he'd have more fun being on the watching side and invited him to have dinner at the Ravenclaw table. At the leaving feast, two days later, all students suddenly found themselves the in form of house elves after eating their desserts. "It will wear off right before you go home tomorrow morning," they were told.

'_I just love this school_,' Harry thought sadly, when he watched the students go home for the holidays as he did every summer. However, just like all the other summers before, his parents had lots of time for him and taught him many interesting things.

'_If only older Harry came back once more_,' Harry mused, but his older self hadn't showed his appearance since that Christmas two and a half years ago.

ハリーと幸せの願い

It was only a year later that older Harry – once more – made a mistake flashing back to the wrong time. This time, he arrived early in the morning, when seven year old Harry was just getting up. "Harry!" he screamed delighted running over to his older self.

"Sorry, Harry, you better keep away from me," older Harry croaked, coughing. "I'm very ill. That's why I obviously managed to return to the wrong time again." He quickly stepped into Helga's and Salazar's bedroom to wake his mother.

"Basilisk pox," Harry could hear Mummy Helga exclaim in a horrified voice. '_Whatever that is, it sounds bad_,' little Harry mused. "Salazar, keep an eye on Leofost; I will take older Harry into the hospital room, that will be safer for everyone," he heard Helga's voice once more before Salazar stepped into his room.

"What's wrong with Harry? Is he going to die?" Harry enquired, slightly panicking.

"No, he will be all right, Thunderbolt. Wait a few days, and then you might be able to see him."

'_Days?_' Harry thought, horrified.

However, even a few days later, Harry still wasn't allowed to see Harry yet. "Then why can you go and see him?" Harry asked angrily when Rowena tried to explain the reason to him for the thousandth time.

"Because there is an immunization potion that we took in order not to catch the illness he has. However, that potion cannot be used on anyone younger than sixteen, which is the age of magical maturity. Do you understand me?"

'_No,_' Harry thought but slightly nodded his head, thinking of a way to see his adored older self. When he was in bed that evening, he transfigured a small wooden building block – like Mummy Rowena had showed him to transfigure objects into other objects – into an alarm clock, setting it on two o'clock in the morning, before he placed it under his pillow.

Waking up by the alarm, he quickly got up and flashed straight into the hospital room, looking for older Harry. '_Ah, there he is_,' Harry thought in relief, glad to see that nobody else was in the room. He sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and lightly shook his shoulder to wake him up.

Knowing from his own memory that his younger self would catch the Basilisk pox anyway, older Harry didn't even try to send the younger boy away but motioned him to lie down next to him and began to speak with him for a few minutes in spite of feeling awful. Five minutes later, both boys were peacefully asleep next to each other.

When Helga entered the room early in the morning, she stopped dead in her tracks. "Please don't be angry, Mummy Helga. Harry came to visit me during the night, and since I remember that I got the Basilisk pox then, I didn't even send him away," older Harry explained tiredly.

Helga sighed in desperation. "One of you is bad enough, but having two of you here at the same time is a nightmare, Leofost," she said, giving the two versions of her boy a fond look, before she waved her wand to enlarge the bed. "You however, little man, have to stay in the hospital room together with your older self. We cannot have you run around the castle and get the baby sick."

"The baby?" older Harry asked, smiling. "Ah, wait, let me guess; it's Lily, right? Mum Rowena's and Dad Godric's first child?"

"Correct, Leofost," Helga replied, waving her wand over the boy.

During the first week the boys spent together in the hospital room, older Harry's condition remained very bad, and when his fever finally broke, little Harry had just started to get the grey spots on his skin. The spots hurt a lot, and his fever became so high that Harry thought he was going to die. However, Helga remained with him all day long, and even if she was absent during the night, older Harry was with him all the time, trying to make him feel better.

As soon as Harry's condition began to improve, he begged his older self for stories about the future, and Harry told the little boy several things, of which he thought that it would have helped him if he had known them in advance. Some things little Harry had no idea what they were good for like his advice to become friends with the Giant Squid, but nevertheless craved everything his older self told him.

"The Giant Squid doesn't speak to me though," Harry replied, annoyed. "I often swim in the lake but it just ignores me."

"Ah well, then you have to find a way," older Harry said mysteriously. "Believe me, in your first year, you'll know why." He pointed to a small parchment on the night table. "I've written three questions for you. You will have to ask Daddy Salazar about them, cause the mean Potions professor will ask you about them in your first Potions class."

"The Potions professor is mean?" Harry asked incredulously, being used to their funny Daddy Salazar, who was strict but always up to a lot of fun, causing most students to enjoy their Potions class.

"Yes, he's an absolute git," older Harry replied. "And he hates us because we look like our real father, whom we don't even know. Try to get as good at Potions as you can get, little one; it will help you to annoy the bastard." He suddenly chuckled. "Daddy Salazar told me I should bring him here, and he'd wash his greasy head. Maybe I'll do that some time."

"Oh, can you do that while I'm here?" Harry asked delighted and older Harry watched amused when his younger self's still eyes that were still dull and glassy from the illness began to twinkle happily.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he told him firmly. "I shouldn't come here while you're here anyway, and normally I'm able to measure the time exactly. If I want to arrive for example between six and seven in the morning of a certain day, then I manage to arrive at that time. I don't think I can set the exact minute; well, I haven't tried. But I can decide the hour that I want to arrive. It's just when I'm ill that I obviously fail and arrive a few years earlier or later, and I'm still happy that it's only a few years and not centuries."

Older Harry stayed until his younger self's eighth birthday. By that time, he had recovered completely, and he saw no reason why he shouldn't return to the future. The evening of Harry's birthday, Salazar handed older Harry a potion. "Here, Thunderbolt. Please take that to Amaterasu and give it to her. The fact that you caught Basilisk pox means that she must be ill. It doesn't matter to her, but I'm afraid that you'll catch it again if you meet her. So please don't linger but give her the potion quickly; then she'll be all right. We have to remember to give you the potion for her when you return to the future for your second year, Thunderbolt," he then turned to younger Harry.

"I will come to see you at least once more before you'll go to the future," older Harry promised his younger self, before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed back to his second year of Hogwarts in the future.

ハリーと幸せの願い

So far, none of his parents had wanted to scold Harry about sneaking away to visit his older self. However, as soon as he was back to full health, Helga and Rowena couldn't hold their anger back. "It's time that you understand that we don't forbid you something just for fun, Leofost," Helga told him sternly. I hope you realized that, after spending most of your holidays in bed after being so careless by not obeying."

"But I'm so happy that I could spend so much time with my older self, even if I was ill," Harry replied in a small voice. "He told me so many things, which will be useful when I go to the future in three years."

Rowena gave him a stern glance. "I'm very disappointed that you proved to be so irresponsible, Lufu. I thought that you'd be old enough to watch Lily for me while I'm teaching. However, if you're too irresponsible to take care of yourself, you definitely will not be responsible enough to care for a baby."

"Oh please," Harry replied, horrified. "Mummy Rowena, I promise that I won't let her get hurt; you know that."

"No Lufu, I'm sorry; I will keep her with me during classes. You may only help me care for Lily after class, when I'm with you," Rowena replied sternly, knowing how much Harry adored the baby. "Moreover, since you seem to be getting into more and more mischief, we have decided to let you attend the first year classes beginning this coming school year onwards. We know that you are three years younger than the students and that there will be things, which you won't be able to do yet. However, you will learn a lot, and from what your older self told me while he was here, the classes in the future are so different from ours that you won't be bored even if you start attending classes now."

"I can attend classes together with the big students?" Harry asked in absolute delight. "Oh, that's brilliant!"

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the last two weeks of the holidays, his four parents let Harry do what he wanted, provided that they knew where he was and what he was doing at all times. Remembering what his older self had told him, Harry spent a lot of his time brewing potions with Salazar and swimming in the lake in order to become friends with the Giant Squid that continued to ignore him and merely nodded its head when Harry greeted it friendly.

Finally, the last day of the holidays arrived, and Harry was very excited. For the first time, he'd be allowed to attend classes together with the first years. '_How will they be? I hope they will be as nice as the others are_,' he mused, thinking sadly of Hildred, who had just finished her seventh year and wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts.

"Why don't you go for a swim, Leofost?" Helga interrupted his thoughts, seeing that they boy was unable to occupy himself and was more or less standing in her way all the time, trying to help her.

"Yes!" Harry replied immediately, already dashing off to his room to change. Twenty minutes later, he was swimming in the lake, while his four parents were occupied with their final preparations for the new school year. Suddenly, Harry felt a pain in his right leg, noticing horrified that it hurt so much that he couldn't move his limbs anymore. '_I'm going to drown_,' he thought, feverishly trying to reach the shore, until he felt himself being pulled into the cold water by an invisible non-existing force and lost consciousness.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	10. Classes

**10 – Classes**

Rowena was just helping Godric with his office work, when she was alerted by loud noises made by the Giant Squid that something was happening on the grounds. She quickly ordered the charmed window to show the lake, seeing the Giant Squid holding up something into the air. "Is that Harry?" Godric asked and dashed out of the room towards the lake, while Rowena opened the window and transformed into her raven form, so she was able to reach Harry's side within moments of the Giant Squid's alert.

Rowena took the child into her arms as the Giant Squid carefully handed the unconscious child to her. She noticed that as well as being unconscious that the child was shivering from the cold. She quickly raised her wand at the child and threw a drying spell as well as a light warming spell on him, before she took him up to the hospital wing to have Helga check on him.

Helga enervated the boy and asked, "What happened, Leofost?"

Harry slowly opened his eyes. "My leg, it suddenly started hurting when I was swimming, and I couldn't swim anymore and thought I was drowning." He let out a few harsh coughs.

"That means you had a muscle cramp, while you were swimming. That's dangerous, Leofost. You should be very grateful that the Squid rescued you. Now listen to me, Leofost. You will never again go swimming all on your own, do you understand me? From now on I want someone to be with you whenever you go for a swim, all right, Leofost? At least take Löwi with you; he'd be able to rescue you as well."

"Yes Mummy," Harry replied, unsure if he wanted to go swimming again anyway, before he let out a series of sneezes.

Helga handed him a goblet with Pepper-up potion. "Here, Leofost; I know that you hate Pepper-up potion, but you seem to have a cold, and I'm sure you don't want to miss your first classes tomorrow, do you?"

"No!" Harry replied horrified and gulped down the potion that he disliked the most because of the annoying steam that came out of his ears. He hated it even more when Helga made him lie down and take a nap afterwards.

Fortunately, Helga let him go in time for dinner, and Harry watched with interest how the first years, who would be his class mates, were sorted into the different Houses. His older self had told him about his own Sorting, but hadn't said in which House the Hat had finally sorted him, although Harry had asked him about a dozen times. The older boy had only revealed that Harry would be pleased with the Hat's decision.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next few weeks, Harry quickly became used to attending classes with the first years. Everyone was very nice to him, and Harry found all classes very interesting. Apart from Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms they were taught Sword Fighting, Warding Technique, History of Magic, Arithmancy, as well as Healing, Occlumency, Magical Creatures, Wandless Magic, and Divination. However, his favourite subjects, in which he excelled in spite of being three years younger than his classmates remained Potions and Transfiguration. After the first year, they could drop one or two of the last five subjects if they wanted, and Harry decided to drop Divination, which he despised although Rowena tried her best to make the lessons interesting.

The most difficult subjects for Harry were Occlumency and Wandless Magic; however, Godric reassured him that his problems with wandless magic were only a result of his young age. "Three years is a big difference, Harry. Wait until you're nearly eleven and the first year wandless magic won't be a problem for you at all."

"I will teach you in Occlumency again during the holidays," Salazar promised. "Don't drop the subject right now; it might be handy for you to know how to occlude your mind in the future."

Sword fighting was something that Harry didn't like either, seeing that his class mates were all much bigger than himself. Fortunately, Godric understood it well enough that he didn't force him to practise with random students, but practised with the child himself or used Harry as partner to show certain moves to the class.

ハリーと幸せの願い

At the beginning of the holidays, after Harry's first year, Godric told the child, "take a piece of parchment and draw an image of your sword first. Think about what design it should have in gold as well as in colour. I will give you the material you need for your birthday, and if you're really sure about what you want by then, I will help you to make your sword."

"Will I be able to use that in class then?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Of course, you will, Leo," Godric smiled at the enthusiastic boy.

Harry went to work immediately. He decided to keep the sword relatively simple and only put the four symbols of the four Houses of Hogwarts on it, the lion for Gryffindor, the eagle for Ravenclaw, the snake for Slytherin, and the badger for Hufflepuff.

"How about adding a fifth one, the symbol of Hogwarts herself, Lufu?" Rowena suggested when Harry showed her his parchment, asking for her opinion.

"Oh yes, that's a good idea, thanks, Mummy," Harry beamed and went to complete his drawing.

After Harry had a design of the sword he wanted, Godric, as promised taught him how to forge his own sword. It took them until the end of the holidays to complete the simple but magnificent sword, which he could hardly wait to begin using in class.

夏休み

Harry also made great progress in Wandless magic during the holidays. "See, Leo, it's just a matter of age in your case. In fact, you're more adept at Wandless magic than most students. I believe that it's one of the gifts you got from me."

Harry smiled. "Thanks Daddy Godric. It's tiring, but it might one day be handy to be able to do."

"It certainly will, Leo. You remember when your older self was here for nearly two months last summer? During that time, he told us a lot about his time, while you were so ill. And he told me that Wandless magic isn't taught in the future, and that hardly anyone is able to perform it. Therefore, you shouldn't tell anyone that you're able to do it. Just keep it to yourself, use it when you're on your own, practise it here when you come home for the holidays, and use it only when you really need to."

"Yes, Daddy, I will be sure to do that," Harry promised. So far, he didn't think much about the future, although he was aware of the fact that his parents always worried about it and eagerly tried to teach him things that could be useful in the future. '_Good that my older self spent so much time here last year and gave our parents so much information about the future_,' he thought gratefully. '_I hope he'll come again soon. I know that's only myself, but I like him, and he's so interesting_.'

However, older Harry didn't show up again until little Harry's eleventh birthday two years later.

やっと十一才

Harry woke up very early in the morning. '_Why did I wake up so early? It's still dark out_,' he thought confused, not immediately noticing the sand phoenix perched on his stomach. Only when the phoenix began to trill a birthday song, Harry noticed his adored older self in his phoenix form.

"Harry!" he shouted, absolutely delighted and very loud, causing his parents to wake up and head to his room in concern.

"Are you ill, Leofost, or did you just come back in time to visit our birthday boy?" Helga asked worriedly, placing her hand in front of the phoenix' feet, who followed the invitation and stepped over onto her hand.

#I came to see my younger self, and I'd like to stay here for a while if you don't mind. Harry, can you translate please?#

"Of course," his younger self laughed, telling his parents what the phoenix had said.

"Why don't you transform, Lufu?" Rowena asked curiously.

The phoenix jumped down on the floor and transformed back into a young man.

"I just didn't give the little one a fright is why I didn't transform immediately when I arrived," Harry replied. "I'm a lot older than the last time you saw me."

"Oh my, you've become a fine young man, haven't you, Leofost!" Helga exclaimed, pulling her son into a bear hug.

"Now, Thunderbolt, tell us how old you are? Have you already finished your seventh year?" Salazar enquired impatiently.

"Ah, slow down, Dad. First, is nobody going to tell my younger self 'Happy Birthday'? And then, how about having breakfast? I promise that I'll tell you lots of things, but I came just from my last afternoon class, and I'm hungry." He quickly waved his hand at his parents and younger self, transfiguring their night clothes into modern time day clothes, and left the room, followed by Godric, Salazar, and Harry, while Rowena and Helga went to fetch their children, three year old Lily and one year old Alvin.

お誕生日おめでとう

Harry received lots of books for his birthday. Salazar even handed him an exemplar of his own handwritten book about prank potions. "But that's yours, Daddy Salazar! I cannot accept that," he told his father in a small voice.

"Ah, Thunderbolt, that's not my book but another exemplar. I wrote that especially for you. Look at it, and you'll see that it's slightly different from the original. I will leave the first one in my library, so that you can access it any time in the future," Salazar promised.

"Will our libraries and everything be there for you to use in the future?" Rowena turned to older Harry.

"Yes Mum, everything will be there," older Harry reassured his parents. "Moreover, Harry, nobody can access our room. The three doors to our room are only visible to us and the people, who come to see us like our parents and the little ones of course." He gave Lily and Alvin a fond glance. "Therefore, you can leave all your belongings in your room. You don't have to take anything with you when you flash to the future."

"What about Löwi?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I will take Löwi for you. You only need to concentrate on flashing, and I'll accompany you on your first trip," his older self promised. "Löwi will be waiting for you on your bed when you arrive."

"Do I really have to go? I'd rather stay here," Harry asked, glancing at his older self.

"No Lufu, you have something to do in the future. You're the saviour of the wizarding world in the future," Rowena told him sternly. "Recently, I had several visions about you in the future, Lufu. I'm going to show them to you in the next few days."

"Don't worry, little one; you will be fine and everything will work out. Just attend your classes, do your homework, play with your friends, and go back home during the holidays," older Harry agreed.

"What are you doing in the future now that you are through with your Hogwarts education, Leo?" Godric asked impatiently.

"Ah, I can't tell you now," older Harry replied thoughtfully. "I will tell you later tonight, when the little one is asleep. I'm going to need your help anyway."

"You're evil, just plain evil that's all there is to it." Harry mumbled, pushing his plate away.

夏休み

Older Harry stayed for the rest of the holidays. "Since I can remember my older self coming to teach me a few things before I went to the future, I'm going to stay to teach you a bit, as well as give you some advice that will help you," he told his younger self.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled, feeling slightly reassured.

"You don't have to worry; everything will be all right," older Harry promised. "First of all, we're going to practise flashing. Please try to flash to the Great Hall at dinnertime tonight."

"Okay," Harry gave back uncertainly, concentrated, and flashed away. Ten seconds later he was back. "Wow, that's brilliant."

"Of course it is," older Harry agreed. "That gives us the ability to flash home any time we want or need to."

"Wait a minute," little Harry said pensively. "You know, when I came here for the first time, I didn't transform into a phoenix, I just came here. Do I have to transform?"

Older Harry sighed. "No, in fact you don't have to. I flashed without transforming once, and it worked. However, I took a person with me and flashed a thousand years into the past, and that was obviously too strenuous, and I collapsed. If you just flash from now to tonight, it won't be a problem. The further in the past or future you go the more difficult it will be."

He remained pensive for a while, before he told his younger self, "If you need to ask me something, you can come to see me as well. If you flash to the year 1996 or later, you'll find me at Hogwarts. You know the small entrance hall in front of our room and the rooms of our parents, all right? If you stand in the outer hall, where the door to the small entrance hall is, you'll find two more doors, one to the left and one to the right side of the door. The left one leads to my office and the right one to my classroom. I will also make a connecting door from our room straight to the office. However, these rooms won't be there before summer 1996."

"Okay, older self, thanks for the information; that sounds brilliant," Harry had to admit. "So I guess that means what you told our mummies and daddies is that I'm going to be a professor in the future," said little Harry with a knowing smile.

夏休み

Too soon for Harry's likings the end of the holidays was quickly upon them. During the summer, Salazar had intensified his efforts to teach Harry Occlumency, and the boy finally managed to occlude his mind, which according to Rowena's visions seemed to be inevitable. Salazar had also spent much of his time teaching Harry Potions, and on one of the last days of the holidays, he made Harry take his Potions OWL of the subject that was currently given in the past, which the fifth year students had to take before they could enter their sixth year.

"Thunderbolt, when you come back next summer, you can take your NEWT," Salazar promised, smirking, and handed him a parchment stating that Harry Potter had efficiently passed his Potions OWL with an 'O' in August 991.

"Thanks, Dad," Harry replied, giving his father a small smile that didn't really reach his eyes. In fact, he wasn't feeling very well at all. His stomach was churning, and he felt very hot and dizzy.

"Are you feeling all right, Thunderbolt?" Salazar asked worriedly, noticing that his cheeks were flushed, his face was pale and his hair was strangely sticking to his sweaty forehead.

"No," Harry whispered. "Do you know where Mummy Helga is?"

"Probably in the hospital room, doing preparations for the new school year; let me take you there," the teacher replied and accompanied Harry to see his wife.

"You've quite a fever, Leofost, what's wrong with you?" Helga asked, waving her wand at the child, who chose that moment to get sick all over himself.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," he apologized, while tears started to run down his cheeks.

"No Leofost, don't cry or you'll make yourself even worse. I'll give you two potions that should make you better in the blink of an eye." She made Harry drink two potions, causing him to fall into a restless sleep.

"I can't find anything wrong; I suppose he's so afraid of the future that he became sick. If he isn't better tomorrow, I can't let him go. You know that he can't time his flashing properly when he has a fever," Helga told her colleagues, who were watching the child with a great amount of concern.

"I'm going to flash him," older Harry spoke up. "I remember that I was sick and my older self flashed me to the future the first time. Don't worry; everything will be all right. You should put a few phials of fever reducer and a calming draught in his room though," he added, knowing that Harry wouldn't ask for help in the future.

将来へ

In the morning, everything was as older Harry had predicted. His younger self was still sick, and it took a lot out of his older self to convince his mother to let him go.

"You will flash him to your room so that you arrive the morning of the first of September. Then he can rest for a few more hours, and if he has any problems, you will bring him back immediately. Is that clear, Leofost?" Helga asked older Harry sternly.

"Yes Mum, and I promise I will stay in his room and look after him until he's totally well," he promised. "You'll see, everything will be all right, little one," he reassured little Harry, while Helga was carefully stroking his hot cheeks. Older Harry transformed into his phoenix form and flashed his younger self into the future as soon as his overprotective parents relieved the smaller boy from their embraces.

'_Oh, this travel seems to be endless_,' younger Harry thought and got sick all over himself once more.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J., and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	11. The Sorting

**11 – The Sorting**

Older Harry landed directly on his bed, put his younger self down, and jumped to the floor, where he transformed back. With a well placed wave of his wand pointed to his younger self he said, "Scourgify," which immediately cleaned up the sick that young Harry had made on the bed.

"Thanks," younger Harry mumbled, blushing terribly.

"It's all right, little one. Now try to sleep for a while; I'll wake you up in time for your Sorting."

While his younger self was asleep, older Harry entered the quarters of his parents Rowena and Godric in search for the Grey Lady, the ghost of Rowena's second daughter, Lily's younger sister Helena, who was hovering in front of the book shelf in the living room. "I brought my younger self here; he's so afraid of everything that is to come that he made himself sick."

"I will accompany him to his Sorting," the ghost promised and made her way into Harry's room.

Before Harry roused his younger self in the early evening, he pointed his wand to his forehead taking his temperature and spelled a fever reducer directly into the child's stomach. Then he carefully shook his shoulder. "Harry, you have to get up; the students are going to be arriving any moment now."

Harry gave him a bleary look and quickly scrambled out of his bed, before he noticed the Grey Lady and gave her an astonished look. "Mum?" he asked confused.

"No sweetie, I'm not Mum Rowena; I'm her daughter Helena," the ghost replied with a comforting smile.

"Lily's little sister?" Harry asked, amazed. "Wow, you were only two weeks old when I left."

"Oh, the students are already boarding the boats. Now let's go downstairs, so that you can join them in time for your Sorting," Helena told him.

"Here Harry, you have to put this over your clothes," older Harry told his younger self, handing him a school robe, and Harry quickly put it on before he followed the ghost down the stairs, while older Harry flashed back into the past to fetch Löwi.

The Grey Lady motioned the child to stand in an alcove near the place where the boats were just arriving, from where she could watch the first years enter the castle. "Now sweetie, they're coming in. Join them now. I'll wait for you in the Great Hall. Don't be afraid; everything will be fine."

Harry gave the ghost an uncertain smile and hesitantly joined the other first years, climbing up the stairs together with their group. He felt that his stomach was getting slightly queasy again, but when he realized that nobody seemed to take any notice of him, he slowly began to feel better. Professor McGonagall greeted the students, made them wait for a few minutes, and finally led them into the Great Hall.

"The ceiling is charmed to look like the sky," a girl with bushy brown hair that was walking beside him told him.

"Yes, it's amazing. Professor Ravenclaw invented the charm," Harry whispered back.

"Oh, do you know about her? Have you read '_Hogwarts: A History'_?" the girl whispered, impressed. "Oh, by the way, I'm Hermione Granger," she continued, while they were waiting for the Sorting to begin.

"I'm Harry Potter," he whispered back to the girl, who really seemed nice.

"You're... you're Harry Potter?" she asked, totally in awe. "I read everything about you, Harry. You're famous."

"Oh please, forget about that. I'm just Harry, all right?" he replied, giving the girl a pleading look, while he noticed that his head was beginning to hurt.

"All right, Harry; can we be friends?"

"I'd like that very much," Harry replied, just when Professor McGonagall called the girl's name.

Twenty minutes later, Harry was the only student left, noticing that the teacher gave her list a confused look. "What's your name?" she asked in a sharp voice, stepping over to Harry.

"Harry Potter, Professor," Harry replied in a small voice.

"Ah, yes of course," the teacher replied after getting a good look at the boy. She turned to the headmaster. "He's not on my list."

"That is because he didn't reply to our letter."

"It matters not that he did not reply to your letter, he's my heir, and I want him to be sorted immediately," the Grey Lady spoke up, hovering next to Harry, who was starting to feel really unwell.

"Of course we will sort you, Mr. Potter," the headmaster replied gently and motioned him to sit down on the stool that the Sorting Hat had been placed on.

As soon as Professor McGonagall had placed the Hat on Harry's head, he could hear a small voice. '_What am I going to do with you? You belong to all Houses, don't you?_'

'_I think so_,' Harry thought back, feeling utterly confused.

'_All right; you have your own room here at Hogwarts anyway_,' the Hat concluded and spoke up aloud, "I cannot sort him. He is the heir of all founders and belongs to Hogwarts, not to only one single House."

Harry pulled the Hat off and handed it back to Professor McGonagall, who gave him a comforting smile and said in a gently voice, "Please take a seat at one of the House tables and come to see me right after dinner, Mr. Potter."

"All right, Professor, thanks," Harry mumbled and turned to the House tables.

"Here Harry!" a voice called him from the Gryffindor table, and Harry followed the voice to the girl he had talked with before and sat down in the empty seat next to her.

'_What am I going to tell the professor?_' Harry thought feverishly, pushing around the food on his plate and ignoring his surroundings at the same time.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice penetrated his ear. "Are you already asleep?"

"Ah, I'm sorry; I'm really tired tonight," Harry replied quietly, trying to concentrate on the conversations that were taking place around him.

"Where are you going to stay?" one of the funny twins with red hair, who were sitting opposite of Harry, asked.

"I'm not sure. The professor just told me I should sit down anywhere and come to her after dinner," Harry replied, slightly uncertainly. '_Am I going to stay in my own room?_' he wondered. '_That would be absolutely brilliant_.' He was pulled out of his thoughts, when one of the older students, who was sitting next to him, introduced the teachers, and Harry quickly followed the student's finger to the head table.

Suddenly, a harsh pain shot through the scar on his forehead and Harry noticed a black figure at the head table giving him a menacing glare. '_That must be the git of a Potions teacher_,_ Professor Snape,_' he mused, glad that his older self had informed him about several things.

Finally, dinner was over and while the other students left the hall, Harry slowly made his way to the head table. "Harry, my boy, how good of you to join us," the headmaster called him over immediately. "Why did you never reply to our letter?"

"Letter?" Harry replied, feigning surprise. "What letter?"

"The Hogwarts letter," Professor McGonagall threw in.

"I never received a letter," Harry told them, glad when the Grey Lady, who was hovering nearby, jumped to his help.

"I brought my heir to the school since he didn't know how to get here. However, seeing that he is very tired and not completely well, I'd like to take him to his room so that he can rest. Minerva, do you have a few minutes to join us?"

"Of course," the deputy headmistress answered in confusion and followed Harry and the ghost out of the Great Hall.

To Harry's great relief, the Grey Lady led them straight up to Harry's room, before she turned to Harry. "Harry, I suggest that you tell the professor everything. She is completely trustworthy and I can assure you that she will keep your secret."

Harry gave Minerva an uncertain look. However, he remembered that his older self had always spoken very highly of the professor. He really seemed to respect the older woman. Harry let out a small sigh and motioned the teacher to sit down in the chair, which older Harry had pulled over to his bed earlier, and sat down on his bed, happily greeting Löwi, who had been waiting for him on his bed.

"Is that..." Minerva began astonished, and Harry interrupted her.

"A griffin, yes; it's Löwi, my familiar. Daddy Godric gave him to me. Oh well professor, I guess I owe you an explanation. It will be a long story, and I'd like you to keep it a secret. I don't want anyone else to know about it, except for the Grey Lady of course; she knows everything."

"I promise, Mr. Potter," Minerva replied curiously, giving Harry an expecting look.

"I am a sand phoenix," Harry began, quickly transforming into his Animagus form and back. "A sand phoenix can travel through the sands of time. When I was a two year old baby, I wished to be with someone, who loved me, because my relatives were so horrible to me, and somehow I managed to use accidental magic flashing myself a thousand years into the past."

Ignoring Minerva's gasp he continued, "I grew up here at Hogwarts with the four teachers, who founded the castle, Mummy Rowena and Daddy Godric, and Mummy Helga and Daddy Salazar. I only came back to the future earlier this morning."

"You just flashed back a thousand years into the future and managed to arrive at the right place in the right time?" Minerva asked incredulously.

"Well, no, in fact I wasn't feeling well this morning and Mummy Helga forbade me to flash, so my older self, who had been visiting me for a few days since he remembered that he had to get his older self's help when he started Hogwarts, flashed me here," Harry explained, seeing that the teacher looked as if she didn't believe a word.

"I think you're hallucinating, Mr. Potter," Minerva finally said and leaned over to Harry to feel his forehead. "You're a bit warm, but not enough to cause you to be hallucinating," she continued thoughtfully.

"Can you fetch my older self, please?" Harry asked Löwi. "He promised to wait in Mummy Rowena's library."

The griffin dashed away, and Minerva gave him an amazed look. "Well, that's proof enough that you have been in the past," she told Harry thoughtfully. "There aren't any griffins around anymore."

"If you need a proof that I've lived in the past, let me show you this," Harry replied, walking over to his desk. He pulled out a parchment from the drawer showing it to Minerva. "When I was eight, I did a lot of tricks on Löwi and on my broom, and when I fell off my broom once, Mummy Rowena made me attend the first year's classes as a punishment," he explained, "and that's why I took my OWLs in the past just recently. However, according to my older self, most things are very different here in the future."

At that moment, older Harry entered the room, greeting the older teacher politely, "Good evening, Minerva."

Minerva glanced incredulously between the two boys. "You are the same person?" she finally asked.

"Yes," older Harry laughed, showing her his scar. "I came from a few years into the future." He gave his younger self a concerned look, taking in that his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were beginning to look glassy again. "My younger self is not really well and needs to go to bed, Professor. May I suggest that we continue our talk in my parents' living room?"

"All right," Minerva replied. "However, I don't have much time. I need to finish the lesson plans, which I have to give out in the morning."

"No problem, Professor; I will flash you back in time, so that you will have enough time," older Harry replied and turned to his younger self once more. "Harry, I will charm your door, so that Professor McGonagall will be able to enter in case she needs to look after you, all right?"

"Of course," younger Harry gave back and began to get ready for bed.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry woke up in the morning, his older self was sitting on the edge of his bed. "Good morning, little one. You need to get up and head to the Great Hall for breakfast. Professor McGonagall knows everything about you and will help you whenever you need help."

"All right, thanks a lot for everything," Harry replied and gave his older self a grateful glance, before he jumped out of his bed and got ready for class. '_Wow, there's the Hogwarts crest on my robe now; it must have appeared automatically_,' he thought amazed while he dressed himself.

"Harry, wait a moment," his older self suddenly spoke up. "Before you leave, I have to take you somewhere. There is something you need to do first, which I nearly forgot. Please hold on to my back feathers."

Harry gave his older self an impatient glance. '_What is it now?_' he thought, annoyed. '_I want to go and attend classes. I'm looking forward to see how it's different to my normal time_.'

However, he obediently grabbed the sand phoenix' tail feathers and felt himself being flashed back in time. This time it didn't last as long as the day before and Harry didn't feel sick when the movement finally stopped. He curiously glanced around only to see them standing somewhere in what seemed to be a back garden. It was just getting dark – or was it early in the morning and slowly getting light? Harry threw his older self a curious look. '_Where are we? And what am I supposed to do here?_' he thought confused.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J., and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	12. Issues with Several Teachers

**12 – Issues with Several Teachers**

"This is the back garden of the Dursleys' home. We are here because there is a charm that we need to put on them so they believe that you have lived with them since Dumbledore left you here in case he sends someone to enquire about you," older Harry explained patiently, before he motioned his younger self to peer into the kitchen's window, where he saw the three Dursleys surrounding the table having breakfast. "Now, I will say the incantation, but I need you to put your magic into my Charm, so that nobody, not even Dumbledore, will be able to break it. He might be more powerful than me, but together we are stronger than everyone else. Do you understand?"

"I understand, let's do it then," Harry confirmed, watching his older self closely.

Older Harry muttered something, and his younger self directed as much magic as he could muster through his right arm into the Charm, feeling a bit exhausted afterwards. '_They seem__ so__ horrible; I'm glad that I left this place and found my home at Hogwarts in the past_,' he mused while he watched his older self transform back into his phoenix form.

Suddenly, older Harry changed back into his human form. "No Harry," he told the younger boy. "This time, you will flash us back to the castle. Take us back to your room, so that we arrive on the second of September 1991 between six and seven o'clock in the morning."

"All right," Harry agreed and transformed. Noticing that his older self was holding his tail feathers, he concentrated on the requested place and time and flashed away, glad when they safely landed in his room.

"Harry, you did great," older Harry commended him, before he said, "Now Harry, I have to return to the future. You know where you can find me in case you have any problems, and you know how you can flash back into the past if you need our parents. In the drawer of your desk, you will find a diary. Write everything important in there, complete with the date and time, and I will come back from the future to help you if you need help. Good luck, Harry!" He transformed and flashed away in a small splash of sand.

Harry looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was already time to head for breakfast. '_I should have come back an hour earlier to rest for a while_,' Harry thought as a jaw cracking yawn escaped him.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On his way to the Great Hall he met a few students, whom he had seen at the Sorting ceremony the day before. One of them stepped over to him immediately upon seeing him and extended his hand. "Hello, I am Draco Malfoy. Are you going to sit at the Slytherin table this morning? It would definitely be better for a pureblood Potter to choose a seat with others who are pureblood rather than sitting with a Mudblood whom is beneath his status."

Harry frowned at the boy with hair so blonde it appeared to be white and silver eyes. "I don't know what you mean, Malfoy, but I can decide for myself where I want to sit."

Before he could turn away, another boy raised his voice. "Don't listen to him, Potter. Nevertheless, we'd like to invite you to our table this morning. Since you belong to all houses, you should change tables at every meal. My name is Blaise Zabini, by the way."

"I fully intend to do so," Harry replied, trying to sound more self-confident than he actually felt, "and if you don't mind, I will join you for breakfast this morning."

A few minutes into breakfast, Professor Snape came to the Slytherin table to distribute the time tables. After handing a pile of parchment to the prefects so that they could give them out to the older students, he came to the first years, explaining to each how to read them. The professor was just turning away to return to the head table, when Blaise called him back. "Professor, Potter still doesn't have a time table."

"He has to get it from his head of house," the professor sneered, giving Harry a menacing look.

"He doesn't have a head of house, since he belongs to all houses," the girl, who was sitting on Harry's left side, explained, causing the teacher's look to intensify.

"That's not my problem," he said coldly and returned to his seat at the head table.

A few minutes later, during which Harry's neighbours did their best to comfort the uncertain boy, who had understood the teacher's look as one of poor hatred, Minerva walked over to the Slytherin table and stood behind Harry. "Here's your time table, Mr. Potter. I put you together with the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years," she said crisply, making Harry sigh in relief.

"Was it all right to sit here this morning?" he asked shyly, giving the older teacher an anxious glance.

"Of course, Mr. Potter, and I appreciate it very much that you change tables each meal, considering that you belong to all houses. You should also visit each of the common rooms. You can either ask the teachers or your classmates to take you to the common rooms, so you know their locations as well as their passwords," Minerva replied gently.

"All right; thank you, Professor," Harry said relieved, knowing that the castle would let him in to all rooms without knowing any passwords, and followed his classmates up to the Transfiguration classroom. He took a seat next to Blaise, waving Hermione over to his other side when she entered the classroom alone. In order not to give himself away, he didn't try to do the easy Transfiguration Spell properly immediately; instead he only did it correctly when the professor called on him towards the end of the lesson, he easily transfigured the toothpick into a needle and was commended gently.

"It's such a pity that I cannot give you house points," Minerva told the boy, giving him a proud smile, leaving Harry to wonder why she was so friendly to him although he wasn't really even in her house.

スネープ先生との出会い

Thirty minutes later, Harry found himself in the Potions classroom, once more sitting between Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger and worriedly awaiting the professor's arrival. After a monologue about the art of the brewing of Potions that would have made Salazar proud, the teacher turned to him like his older self had said he would, sneering something about 'our new celebrity', before he began to ask him the three questions, about which older Harry had warned him.

Seeing that Harry seemed to know much more than he would have expected from a Muggle raised first year student, the teacher gave up and ordered the students to open their books. Harry soon felt a presence trying to enter his thoughts and immediately occluded his mind like Salazar had taught him again and again. '_What does he think he's doing?_' Harry mused angrily, feverishly thinking about what Salazar had told him about showing people false pictures to mislead them.

'_Well, let's have him some fun_,' Harry decided and shoved one memory in front of the image of a sand dune, which he used to lock his mind off against uninvited visitors.

Only a minute later, the professor turned away, a disgusted expression on his face, causing Harry to grin inwardly. '_Oh, I have to tell Mummy Helga and Daddy Salazar about that_,' he thought, while he returned the image of his dirty nappy exploding in front of Petunia's face after she had forgotten to change it for several days to the back of his mind.

From then on, the professor didn't bother Harry with questions anymore. However, he scolded him whenever an opportunity presented itself, trying to find reasons to give him a zero for his potions, which Harry always managed to brew perfectly. Since he couldn't take points off of his potions, the teacher assigned detentions at least twice a week, so that Harry had to spend a lot of time in the Potions classroom cleaning cauldrons. Fortunately, the professor only took Harry's wand with him but didn't think about the possibility that Harry would be able to do the cleaning with wandless magic and saw no need to supervise him during his detentions. Harry however always cleaned the cauldrons wandlessly and used the rest of the evening brewing potions from the Potions book that Salazar had written in Parseltongue for him.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry was very apprehensive around Professor Quirrel, knowing from his older self that the man was possessed by Voldemort's spirit. He also knew from a vision Rowena had seen and shared with Harry before he left for the future, what he had to do in order to destroy Voldemort's spirit while he was still in the professor's head. He only had to practise the spell. However, it was very difficult, especially since he couldn't train on real people, and it afforded a lot of magic. Moreover, he had to think about the timing, knowing that his actions wouldn't remain unnoticed if he cast the Spell in front of others. '_I don't want the whole class to witness what happens_,' he mused. '_Should I confide in Professor McGonagall?_' Finally, he decided not to tell anyone about the matter, knowing that they wouldn't be able to help him in his task anyway.

On a Sunday afternoon at the end of October, Harry was sitting in the library together with Hermione, Neville, and Blaise, who had all three become very good friends with Harry. The three students were studying for a Potions test that was expected to take place the next day. Knowing that he already knew everything about the potions that were to be covered on the test, Harry let his thoughts drift to the problem of Professor Quirrel. '_I could do it tonight_,' he thought. '_It's time to get that out of the way so it's not hanging over my head anymore_.'

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked concerned, noticing that Harry seemed to be very lost in his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm just very tired. Maybe I'll go back to my room and rest for a while."

"Now?" Neville asked astonished, exchanging a worried glance with Hermione. "Dinner is starting in ten minutes."

"I'm not hungry right now," Harry replied.

"Nevertheless, we will drag you to the Great Hall anyway," Blaise answered sternly, standing up determined.

'_Well, maybe it's better to eat something before I have to use so much magic_,' Harry thought, as he obediently followed his three best friends to the Great Hall.

ハリーと幸せの願い

After dinner, Harry discussed his detailed plan with Löwi, and since the griffin agreed with his plan, he expected it to be fool proof. He took Löwi with him and headed to Professor Quirrel's office. After his hesitant knock at the office door, it took a few minutes until he was called in; but finally, he entered the office, leaving the door slightly ajar.

'_I just hope I'll succeed; otherwise I won't have much chance of survival_,' Harry thought, suddenly feeling very anxious.

"Good evening, Professor. I'm sorry to disturb you," he apologized politely, trying to get the pain in his scar under control, which he always felt when he was in close proximity to the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. "We talked about Grindylows and Brombylows last week, but I didn't completely understand the difference between both and what I have to do differently depending on whether it's a Grindylow or a Brombylow. Could you please explain the difference for me, Professor?"

"Of c..co...course, Mr. P.. Potter," the teacher replied stuttering.

As soon as he started his explanation, Harry began to wandlessly cast the Spell that Rowena had taught him two months ago, trying to send as much of his magic into the Spell as he could, knowing that Löwi could remove him from the office quickly if something happened.

About half way through the Spell, the professor's turban suddenly fell off, and Harry could see a strange face hanging out from the back of the professor's head. He had to try hard not to interrupt his casting, especially as the pain in his head became nearly unbearable.

"Kill the boy before he kills me, you dunderhead!" he heard a high pitching voice scream and saw Professor Quirrel slowly turn around just when Harry spoke the last words of the Spell.

Before the professor could even draw his wand, a black cloud emerged from the back of his head and exploded into small pieces of dust, which faded into non-existence. The teacher collapsed to the floor at the same time as Harry lost consciousness.

Löwi quickly took Harry back to his own room, putting him on his bed, before he returned to the teacher's office and carried the unconscious man to the hospital wing, where he banged his foot against the door until Madam Pomfrey opened the door and allowed Löwi to put the teacher onto a bed.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Monday morning, all Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were cancelled for the whole week and a rumour spread around the castle that Professor Quirrel was in a coma in the hospital wing. Hermione, Neville, and Blaise worriedly searched all the house tables for Harry but couldn't find him. "Well, let's see if he attends classes," Hermione told her friends when they met at the entrance doors to the Great Hall after breakfast.

When Harry neither showed up for their Potions test nor for the History of Magic class, the three friends worriedly hurried up to Minerva's classroom, where she had just dismissed the last of her students for lunch.

"Professor, we are sorry to disturb you, but we're worried about Harry. He wasn't at breakfast or any of our classes today," Hermione quickly told the professor.

"I have no information concerning Mr. Potter," the teacher replied sternly. "However, I will go check on him to ensure he is well. Miss Granger, please be so kind and tell Professor Dumbledore that I'll be late for lunch if I manage to attend at all."

"May we come with you, Professor?" Neville spoke up hesitantly.

"No, Mr. Longbottom; please accompany your friends to the Great Hall. I will inform you as soon as I know anything about Mr. Potter and the reason he was neither at breakfast nor his classes."

_tbc…_

_Thanks for your lots of reviews and your kind words! I really appreciate them. Sorry that I didn't have the time to reply to each of them, but I had to see to get a bit ahead in the story in order to be able to update quickly. _

_Thanks a lot to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	13. Potions

**13 – Potions**

Minerva quickly headed up to Harry's room, very worried, especially since the teachers and Madam Pomfrey still had no idea what had happened to Professor Quirrel, who was still in a coma. When she entered Harry's room, Löwi greeted her happily, apparently knowing that she would try to help Harry, who was also unconscious. "I don't know if you understand me, Löwi, but if you do, could you please fetch Madam Pomfrey from the hospital wing, so that she can look after Mr. Potter?"

Löwi nodded his head and quickly dashed away, only to return a few minutes later with Poppy in tow, who immediately waved her wand over Harry. "In contrary to Quirinus Quirrel, who is in a coma, Mr. Potter has depleted his magic completely, and he seems to have a bad headache and a slight fever. His scar also looks as if it burst open a short while ago." She lifted Harry's fringe a bit so that they could get a better look at the scar that stood red and livid against his pale skin.

"I could wake him up," Poppy said pensively, "but then we would need to keep him in bed for the time being and make him not use any magic for at least a week or two, and that would be difficult if he stayed here on his own. But I don't know how safe it is to take him with me, considering that we don't know what happened with him or Quirinus."

"Could we perhaps ask Severus to use Legilimency on them? Or why not wake Mr. Potter up and ask him?" Minerva enquired. "Frankly speaking, I trust Mr. Potter completely, while Quirinus has changed a lot during the last few months for some reason, which I know nothing about."

"All right, Minerva. Will you help me keep him in bed and make him not use any magic?"

"Yes, Poppy, I will," Minerva promised.

Poppy raised her wand at Harry. "Enervate!"

Harry stirred and let out a small groan. '_My head! It hurts so much_,' he thought. 'Löwi,' he called out to his familiar, 'Did I manage to kill the maniac?'

'Yes Harry, you did. Everything is all right. But you have visitors, who want to know what happened. You should speak with them.'

Harry lazily opened his eyes, when he heard Madam Pomfrey calling out to him, "Mr. Potter, how do you feel?"

"My head hurts," Harry whispered in agony.

"Drink this potion, and you will feel a bit better, Mr. Potter," Poppy replied softly and helped him sit up with trained hands.

"Thanks," Harry breathed in relief, when he felt the pain recede some.

"Harry," Minerva addressed the boy, "do you feel well enough to tell us what happened between you and Professor Quirrel?"

Harry sighed and tried to get up, but found himself being pushed to lay back down by Madam Pomfrey. "Excuse me, but I have to fetch a Pensieve, so that I can show you the memory of what happened," he told the woman, feeling completely annoyed.

"Young man, you are not going anywhere," he was told. "You have completely depleted your magic, you still have a headache, and you have a fever, and you will stay in this bed for at least a few days until I am satisfied that you are on your way to a complete recovery. If you give me any problems, it will be longer. If you need something, just tell us and we'll get it for you."

'Löwi, can you get the Pensieve from Daddy Godric's and Mummy Rowena's room, please?'

An instant later, Löwi arrived with the Pensieve, and ignoring Poppy's protests that he shouldn't do magic, Harry put the Pensieve on his lap and placed his memory in before he turned to Minerva. "Professor, could I speak to you privately, please?"

Minerva glanced at Poppy and replied, "It's all right, Harry. Madam Pomfrey won't tell anyone; she is bound by her Healer's oath, so you can tell her anything you are comfortable telling me."

"Okay," Harry agreed and tried to ignore the feeling of uncertainty when he explained, "I did all of this because of a vision Mummy Rowena had. She showed me her vision, and Daddy Godric and Daddy Salazar practised the Spell with me. Is Professor Quirrel all right?"

"He is still in a coma, and it would help greatly if we knew what happened," Poppy replied gently.

"He was possessed by the spirit of Voldemort," Harry explained, "and I knew that I had to get rid of the spirit, which I did." He handed the Healer the Pensieve and lay back, exhausted, as the two women visited Harry's Pensieve memory.

ハリーと幸せの願い

A few minutes later, the two ladies emerged from the Pensieve with shocked expressions on their faces. "Mr. Potter, would you mind asking your familiar to fetch Professors Dumbledore and Snape? We need them to witness what occurred as well," Minerva spoke up sternly.

"Snape? Here in my room?" Harry asked horrified, raising a hand to rub his aching forehead.

"Calm down, Harry; he won't know anything. Your room just looks like a normal room," Minerva said calmingly.

"Don't let yourself become so upset, Mr. Potter, or you will aggravate your condition," Poppy added sternly.

"All right, Löwi, can you fetch Professors Dumbledore and Snape, please?" Harry asked his familiar, who dashed away, flapping his wings.

Thirty minutes later, the two professors emerged from the Pensieve. Severus rolled up his left sleeve and gasped. "The Dark Mark... it was always slightly there, but now it's completely gone."

"Very well, Severus, that's good news indeed," the Headmaster replied. "However, what I cannot understand," he glanced at Harry, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, "is how Harry knew exactly what he had to do."

Minerva sighed. "Poppy and I know, but he asked us not to reveal his secret, and we are going to respect his decision. He didn't even want to let you into his room and watch the memory, but he gave in on our request. So I'd like to ask you to content yourselves with the information provided."

"Leave it to Potter to draw attention to himself," Severus mumbled, giving the child a loathing glare.

"I suggest taking Quirrel to the mental ward of St. Mungo's," Poppy spoke up hesitantly. "We do not know how much damage was caused by the possession of an evil spirit, and I have no idea how to find out and how to help him."

"All right, I will take him to St. Mungo's," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, we have to look for a new Defence teacher immediately."

"How about Remus Lupin?" Minerva suggested pensively. "Provided that he is free at the moment."

"Who else would hire a werewolf?" Severus threw in with distaste.

"I assume that you'd be willing to brew the werewolf potion for him, my boy?" the Headmaster addressed his youngest colleague, and Severus gave him an angry nod.

"If I must, Headmaster."

"Yes please, Severus. Is Harry all right, Poppy?" the Headmaster asked as he turned to the Healer.

"Apart from depleting his magic completely and having a headache and a fever, he is well. I'm considering taking him with me though. He shouldn't do magic for at least a week, not even in class."

"I wouldn't do that, Poppy. I don't think he would take it well if you moved him to the hospital wing. Just let him rest here, and I will help you look after him," Minerva contradicted firmly, ignoring Severus' mumbling about 'special treatments for celebrities'.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry woke up, he groaned inwardly. '_How am I supposed to flash back into the past when I'm sick, if I can't do magic?_' he mused, glancing at his alarm clock. '_It's nearly curfew_,' he thought, surprised how long he had slept. His head still hurt a lot and he also felt feverish. '_I'll go brew a headache potion and a fever reducer in Daddy Salazar's lab_,' he decided and walked into his parents' quarters.

Feeling very happy and content in his surroundings when he entered the Potions lab, he began to brew the two potions simultaneously, considering that he had to start the headache potion three minutes before the fever reducer, so that he would be able to brew them at the same time.

'Löwi, I need birch bark. Can you get that for me from the forest quickly?' he asked his familiar, skimming the potions ingredients, and let him out through the connecting door to the Chamber of Secrets, which he remembered to be behind Salazar's and Helga's bathroom. Twenty minutes later, Löwi was back with the ingredient, and Harry could begin with the brewing process.

Harry was totally engrossed in his potions when suddenly Löwi appeared at his side and told him, 'The cat professor is in your room looking for you. Can you come back?'

'No,' Harry groaned. 'Can you bring her here, please?'

Two minutes later, Löwi returned with Minerva in tow. "Please sit down, Professor," he said absentmindedly. "If you give me five minutes, I can finish this potion and put the other under a Stasis Charm."

"Take your time, Mr. Potter," Minerva replied, not knowing if she should scold him for being out of bed and brewing or commend him for brewing not only one but two potions with a practised skill, that showed he was very adept at what he was doing.

Five minutes later, Harry set the fever reducer to the side to simmer and placed a Stasis Charm on the headache potion, which would last up to one hour. "Sorry for that, Professor," he apologized and sat down on the chair next to Minerva's.

The professor sighed. "You know that Madam Pomfrey has assigned you absolute bed rest for a few days and has forbidden you to do any magic for at least a week, don't you?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Professor, but I felt that I needed a headache potion and a fever reducer, so I got up to brew them. It won't take long; I only have to add a few ingredients, which will take thirteen minutes, until the second potion is finished. And I brewed a whole batch of each, so that I won't have to brew them again if I need them the next time."

Minerva groaned. "Mr. Potter, are you aware of the fact that we have a Healer and a Potions Master in the castle, who are supposed to help students who are sick?"

"Sorry, Professor, of course I know, but it would have taken much more energy to walk to the hospital wing than to come in here and brew them myself," Harry replied sheepishly.

"All right, Mr. Potter, go on and finish your potions quickly; I'll wait for you," the teacher instructed him, and Harry quickly returned to his potion.

"Professor, could you perhaps help me to bottle up the potions?" Harry asked hesitantly, pointing to two boxes of small phials. "Since I cannot use magic, I'd have to do it manually, which would take a lot more time."

"Of course," Minerva replied and quickly bottled the potions for Harry, who handed her two labels, so that she could duplicate them.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, relieved. He put the phials into the empty potions shelf, and uncorked two potions, which he wanted to take immediately.

"Wait, Mr. Potter," Minerva told him, putting a hand on his arm to stop him. "Before you take any potions, I'd like to take your temperature since I'm sure that Madam Pomfrey is going to question me about your condition. Sit down here for a moment."

"All right," Harry replied, sighing, expecting the teacher to wave her wand at him.

Minerva quickly conjured a thermometer and handed it to Harry, who eyed the glassy thing curiously. "Excuse me, Professor, what's that?" he asked, confused.

Minerva sighed and quickly explained to the child, whose expression became even more confused. "Why don't you take temperatures magically?" he asked incredulously.

"Because only Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape are able to do it magically," Minerva answered patiently.

"Oh right, that's what I found strange," Harry continued to speak, unconsciously playing with the long thing in his hand. "We don't have Healing classes here. Do the older years have Healing classes? When I attended Hogwarts the first time, we had completely different subjects from what we have now, and for example, everyone could take another person's temperature. I can't take my own though."

"Some time you'll have to tell me about your classes, Mr. Potter. However, seeing that it's nearly midnight, I'd like you to get on with it, so that we can go to bed." She gently pried the thermometer out of Harry's hands and carefully stuck it into his mouth, motioning him to wait for a moment. "38.8," she finally told him. "Please try to rest tomorrow, and don't forget not to use any magic. Now you may take your potions." She waited until Harry had gulped down his potions and accompanied him back to his room, tucking him in carefully.

"Good night, Professor, and thanks," Harry mumbled lazily, already drifting off to sleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

In the morning, Harry felt much better and decided to attend classes even though he had been told not to. Not feeling hungry at all, he skipped breakfast and headed down to the entrance hall right in time to descend to the dungeons for the first lesson of the day.

"Harry!" Blaise was the first to notice him.

"Are you all right? McGonagall told us you'd probably miss classes for at least a week," Hermione told him in concern.

"I'm fine," Harry replied. "I'm just not allowed to do any magic for at least a week."

"I'm glad that you're back," Neville spoke up. "I really missed you, and you know how much I need your help, especially in Potions."

"No problem, Neville. However, if we have to brew a potion that involves doing magic, you'll have to do that for me, all right?"

"Of course," Neville replied proudly, glad to be able to help his friend.

"Can you sit at our table at lunchtime, Harry?" Susan, a Hufflepuff first year enquired. "You have to tell us what happened. There are rumours that you fought with Professor Quirrel and won."

"No way; Harry is already booked for lunchtime," Fred and George threw in, who suddenly seemed to appear out of thin air.

Harry laughed. "We'll see. I'm not sure if I'm going to attend all my classes today."

"Now come on, we have to hurry," Hermione told them, and the friends hurried down to the dungeons, taking seats in the last row.

Harry's stomach began to churn when the professor stormed into the room, glancing around the class. "Potter!" he shouted, giving him a menacing glare. "I know that you think the world revolves around you; however, you are nothing but a good for nothing dunderhead and have to learn to respect your elders. Detention with me for the rest of the week straight after dinner!"

'_Ah, I should have brought another headache potion with me_,' Harry groaned inwardly, unconsciously rubbing his forehead, until he noticed that everyone was looking at him.

"I have no idea what he's talking about," he whispered to Blaise, who was sitting on his left side.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	14. Fight with Professor Snape

**14 – Fight with Professor Snape**

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir; however, if you're finished insulting me, perhaps you could enlighten me," Harry answered quietly, glancing straight into the Professor's face.

"I was present when Madam Pomfrey assigned you bed rest and absolutely prohibited the use of magic," the teacher hissed. "However, all mighty Mr. Potter knows better than to follow rules."

"I am perfectly capable of brewing a potion, sir, and in case it involves magic, my friends have already agreed to cast the respective Spells for me," Harry replied, trying hard to remain as polite and respectful as possible.

"If you're not able to finish your potion on your own, Mr. Potter, I will give you zero points for the day," the Professor sneered, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"I don't care," Harry replied, rubbing his achy forehead, trying to fend off an impending headache.

"You're as arrogant as your father was, Potter, and I'm sure you'll have a similar fate," the professor hissed, now absolutely furious.

"I don't know whom you're talking about, Professor. I have never known my real father; however, if you're speaking about the man, who raised me, I'd be pleased to know that I resemble him. I take that as a great honour, sir."

"That's enough," the professor bellowed. "I don't want to see you anymore today. Leave and head to the headmaster's office immediately."

"No," Harry replied simply, trying to sound more self-confident than he felt. "I came here to brew a potion, because I absolutely love brewing, and if you will allow I'd like to finally begin."

Now aware of the fact that the whole class was witnessing their conversation, Severus quickly answered, "A hundred points from... No, detention with me for a month!" With that, he turned to the class, hurriedly assigned the day's potion, and set the students to begin their work.

Harry sighed in relief. It was a simple healing potion, which didn't involve much magic to brew. He wouldn't even have to ask Neville. He resisted the urge to simply ignore the teacher's orders and brew a headache potion, which he needed badly, and began brewing his assigned potion, watching Neville closely from the corner of his eye to help prevent him from making a mistake if necessary.

For the rest of the class, Snape merely ignored Harry, and the boy was relieved when the class was finally over. He unobtrusively cast an unbreakable Spell on the phial before he filled a dose of his potion into it and placed it on the teacher's desk. Not feeling too well after his fight with the teacher and doing magic several times while brewing his potion, Harry decided to skip the History of Magic lesson and return to his room instead to rest until the last afternoon lesson, which was Transfiguration.

"Harry, if you feel better, you should come down to the Great Hall for lunch," Hermione insisted, eyeing him worriedly. "You have to eat something anyway, and since Defence is cancelled, we have a free period this afternoon. Since we only have Transfiguration left, maybe we could go to the library and study together."

Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he replied, "Why don't you come to my room? There we can study together and no one will be able to disturb us except Professor McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey."

"But then you'll really have to come down for lunch since we don't know where your room is," Blaise replied.

"We'd like to visit you in your room though," Hermione added.

Harry sighed. "I don't know about lunch yet. You know where the hospital wing is, don't you?" When everyone nodded, he continued, "Normally, people only go until the hospital wing and back, but if you continue on that hall, you'll come to a portrait of the four founders. Tell them that you want to visit me, and they'll let you in. They already know your names. You'll arrive in a small entrance hall with three doors. The one in the middle has a sand phoenix on it and is my door. Just knock and I'll hear you."

"That sounds fairly easy," Neville said thoughtfully.

"Well, if you don't find my room, I'll send Löwi, my familiar, out to fetch you to lead you there," Harry promised.

"Harry, we'll bring you a sandwich or something to eat," Hermione shouted after him as Harry left them to head for his room.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Back in his room, Harry quickly gulped down a headache potion, and feeling exhausted from the magic he had done in Potions, even though it was a fairly small amount, he went to bed to take a nap. He only woke up when he heard his friends' voices right next to his bed. He lazily opened his eyes and sat up happily, welcoming them to his personal sanctuary.

"Nice room you have here, Harry," Hermione told him, handing him a sandwich she had brought with her from the Great Hall.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry mumbled and took the sandwich from her just when Minerva entered the room as well, looking around sternly.

"Mr. Potter, I have orders from Madam Pomfrey to check on you and to tell you that you'll be confined to the hospital wing if she catches you out of your room as long as you are not completely recovered."

Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance and placed his sandwich on the night table. "I'm fine, Professor, and I promise not to do any magic. Plus, I will be careful, so that Madam Pomfrey won't catch me," he added, which gave Minerva the opportunity she was looking for, to shove a thermometer into his mouth.

"You still have a fever and need to rest, Mr. Potter," Minerva told him sternly. "Madam Pomfrey or I will come again to check on you this evening. Until then I want you to stay here in your room. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Professor," Harry mumbled in annoyance, when he suddenly remembered something. "Uh, Professor; Snape assigned me detention for a month. May I attend that?"

"It's 'Professor Snape' and no Harry, you are not able to do detention tonight. I will speak to Professor Snape during dinner."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, relieved.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Minerva said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Please take a fever reducer. Do you need anything else?"

"No thanks, Professor," Harry replied and finally began to devour his sandwich.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Minerva and Poppy kept Harry in bed for the whole week. Fortunately, his friends came every free minute they could spare to spend time with him and even did all of their homework in his room. On Friday evening, Poppy finally told him that he could attend classes once again beginning Monday, but was still not allowed to do magic until she advised him otherwise.

When Harry attended breakfast on Saturday morning, a school owl landed on the table in front of him, stretching her foot out to him to allow him to retrieve the note it carried. Astonished, Harry took the attached parchment and read, '_Mr. Potter, your detention begins tonight immediately following dinner. S. Snape_.'

Harry groaned inwardly and showed the letter to Hermione and Neville, who were sitting on both sides of him. "What does he think he's doing?" Hermione blurted out angrily. "You haven't even been allowed to attend classes yet. Give it to me; I will speak with Professor McGonagall. It's mean to give you a month's worth of detention just because you told him you wanted to do your Potions lesson."

Harry shook his head slightly. "It's all right, Hermione. I don't want to have a huge fight with him. Anyway, he doesn't know that I'm capable of wandless magic and doesn't normally supervise me. Therefore, I'll quickly finish my detention work with wandless magic, and then I can use the evening to brew potions. It won't be too bad."

Hermione and Neville groaned. "He only has to catch you once, and you will be in so much trouble," the girl told him.

"I know but what should I do?" Harry asked in desperation. "Since the beginning of the school year, I've already served twenty detentions in the Potions classroom. And now I've detention for a whole month! Don't you think that's an absolute record?"

"Well, it is. You seem to be worse than us," the Weasley twins, who were sitting opposite of Harry, spoke up interestedly. "How did you achieve that by the way?"

"I have no idea, except for the fact that he absolutely hates me for some reason. And the worst part is that I love brewing Potions," Harry said in a small voice, desperately trying to suppress the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

'_I'm going to fly on Löwi for a while_,' Harry thought and left the Great Hall, too afraid that he would end up in tears in front of the whole school. "I'll see you later," he told the others and quickly left the room.

"But Harry, you didn't eat anything yet," Hermione told him astonished. She sighed as Harry went through the door.

"And he even forgot his letter," Neville added.

"Oh, give it to me, please. I'm going to speak with Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied and walked over to the head table.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"Professor, may I speak to you in private for a moment," she asked hesitantly.

"Have you already finished eating?" Minerva enquired and receiving a nod from the student, she led Hermione into her office.

"It's about Harry, Professor. He has a real problem with Professor Snape. The professor gives him detention in a totally unfair way. Harry only has to sneeze or yawn in order to receive detention, and on Monday when he attended the Potions class although he wasn't supposed to, Professor Snape gave him a month worth of detentions. He just received this letter at breakfast, and after reading that letter Harry didn't eat anything for breakfast and was nearly crying when he left the Great Hall, saying that he doesn't understand why the professor hates him so much, especially as he loves to brew potions. And he is really good at brewing, Professor."

Minerva sighed. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for bringing this problem to my attention. However, I'm not sure how I could help Harry. I will speak to the headmaster and ask him to talk to Professor Snape about it, and I will speak with Harry as well. I know that this is not Harry's fault, and I also know how adept he is at Potions."

"All right, Professor; thank you," Hermione said politely, before she suddenly let out a gasp. "Professor, look, is that Harry?" She pointed out the window.

When Minerva looked through the window, she saw Harry flying on Löwi doing his tricks. "I will go and speak to him right now," she said sternly and hurriedly left the room with Hermione quickly following in her wake.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry was flying on Löwi around the Quidditch pitch. '_I know that I promised Mummy Rowena and Mummy Helga not to do tricks, but they're not here and they won't know_,' he thought, eagerly trying to remember all the tricks he had practised in the past. He was enjoying himself greatly, and it helped him forget his problem with the menacing Potions professor.

Suddenly, Minerva's voice penetrated his ears, and Harry was so startled that he couldn't hold himself on Löwi. He fell down head first. After a few meters of free fall, however, Löwi was able to catch him, and the griffin landed safely on the ground with Harry on his back.

"Are you trying to kill yourself, Mr. Potter?" Minerva asked angrily.

"No Professor, I'm sorry," Harry replied in a small voice, trying to ignore the headache and dizziness that the sudden fall had caused. "I was just playing on Löwi and was startled when you called me, that's all."

"Don't let me see you doing such stunts ever again," Minerva said strictly, before she motioned Harry to take a seat at the side of the Quidditch pitch.

"I heard that you're breaking all records concerning detentions in the Potions classroom," Minerva began softly. Seeing Harry's horrified look, she continued, "I probably won't be able to help you, Harry, although I promise that I will speak to the headmaster about the matter. However, I will try to explain why Professor Snape seems to dislike you so much. Your parents, Lily and James, were in the same year at Hogwarts as Professor Snape; however, they were in Gryffindor, and Professor Snape was a Slytherin. Your father and his friends loved to get into mischief; don't misunderstand me, Harry, they were very good students; however, they didn't let a chance pass by to fight with the Slytherins, especially with Professor Snape."

"But what does that have to do with me, Professor?" Harry threw in, with a quiet and hesitant voice.

"The group of your father and his friends and Professor Snape were the worst kind of enemies you could imagine, and Professor Snape especially hated your father since James once saved his life. Of course, this has nothing to do with you, but you have an uncanny resemblance to your birth father, not in your behaviour but in your outward appearance. As far as I can imagine, that must be the reason behind Professor Snape's apparent dislike of you."

Harry sighed. "Thanks Professor, for telling me the truth." '_If that's his problem, there is nothing I can do about it_,' he thought sadly. '_Maybe I should really take him to the past at some point and let Daddy Salazar deal with him_.'

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Minerva asked suddenly, who had been observing the child the whole time and noticed that his face had turned white after his fall from Löwi.

"Yes, of course," Harry lied, knowing that he could take a headache potion as soon as he was back in his room.

"If not, please go to Madam Pomfrey, and she will excuse you from your detention tonight. That was quite a fall, and you might obtain a headache later on," Minerva said firmly, before she released Harry with the advice that he should come to see her whenever he any had problems.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry walked down to the dungeons for his detention a while later, feeling absolutely awful. He had already missed dinner in order to rest as long as he could, but he still had a headache and was feeling slightly dizzy. '_Today, I won't brew any potions. I will do my work using wandless magic, and if I'm still able to do magic, I'll just flash two hours into the future; otherwise, I will sleep in the classroom until he lets me go_,' he decided.

However, when Harry entered the classroom, the teacher sneered, "Since you missed a whole week of classes due to your own stupidity by aggravating your condition on Monday morning, you will brew all the potions you missed this week."

"All right, sir. What potions do I have to brew?" Harry asked and groaned inwardly, knowing that he wasn't in any condition to brew potions.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	15. Detention

15 - Detention

Severus threw Harry a nasty look. "You missed two classes this week, during which your classmates brewed a healing salve and a fever reducing potion. You will stay until you finish both. The recipes are in your book on pages twenty-three and thirty-four."

'_Thank God I know the fever reducer by heart. Let's see, which healing salve he means; maybe I can brew them at the same time_.' He considered the brewing time for a moment and decided to borrow Neville's cauldron for the second potion. He quickly gathered the ingredients he would need, prepared the cauldrons, and began to prepare the ingredients.

In the meantime, Severus remained at his own desk, grading homework. However, he was intensely watching Harry's every move. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, when Harry started to brew the second potion only two minutes after he had began with the first one.

"I'm going to brew the potions simultaneously," Harry replied shortly and tried to concentrate on the brewing.

"Do you want to destroy the classroom?" the professor sneered, glaring at the boy.

Harry was having a hard time concentrating anyway and preferred to ignore the teacher's comment for the time being, which naturally made the professor even more upset.

"Potter!" he shouted. "I want you to brew the potions separately!"

Harry continued the brewing process for another minute until both potions reached a stage, in which he could safely put them under a stasis charm. He waved his wand and leaned back in relief. "Professor," he began in a firm voice, "first of all, I know what I'm doing. Secondly, I don't feel well today and would like to finish as soon as possible. And finally, due to my splitting headache I have difficulties concentrating anyway; therefore it would really help if you could just let me do my work."

"If you're still ill, you should go to Madam Pomfrey," Severus sneered, giving Harry a piercing look. '_Well, he looks as if he was in a lot of pain_,' Severus observed, wondering, '_How is he so confident and proficient at Potions when he grew up with his Muggle relatives?_'

"May I continue, please?" Harry asked, no, begged the teacher.

"Do you need a headache potion?" Severus asked without any malice in his voice.

"No thank you, Professor. It won't help," Harry replied in a small voice. "May I continue?" Green eyes slowly looked up into the teacher's dark eyes.

"If you destroy the classroom, understand now that you'll be in detention until the end of the school year," Severus threatened using his traditional sneer.

"Thanks," Harry replied in relief and removed the stasis charms on the two cauldrons and continued on with both potions.

From the corner of his eye Severus observed Harry's every move and noticed that he knew the fever reducing potion by heart and hardly needed to consult the page containing the healing salve. '_I'll have to speak with Albus_,' he mused. '_Where did this child learn to brew potions? His father was a complete dunderhead at potions_.' '_Well, his mother was as adept as you were, wasn't she?_' a small voice in the back of his head spoke up, but Severus dismissed the thought immediately. '_However, I cannot give the child zero points for his potions anymore. Everyone, who observes him brewing, has to realise that he knows what he's doing_,' he decided.

In the meantime, Harry was having a hard time concentrating, and it was at the last step of the fever reducing potion that he nearly stirred in the wrong direction, feeling very dizzy for a moment. However, he caught himself just in time and finished the potion flawlessly. '_Thank God_,' he thought in relief, knowing that the healing salve would be finished in another fifteen minutes, and he would be able to go to his room and to bed.

While Harry was concentrating on the last steps of the salve, Severus examined the potion in Neville's cauldron. '_The colour looks correct_,' he noticed, sniffed at the potion, and even tasted the liquid, before he stepped through the classroom and fetched a batch of phials. Keeping his voice as neutral as possible, he told Harry, "If you're finished with the healing salve, you can bottle the fever reducer in these phials. I will take this batch to Madam Pomfrey later on."

Harry nearly chocked. '_I didn't know that they use potions in the hospital wing that were brewed by students_,' he mused, shuddering at the thought of one of Neville's potions being given to another student.

A few minutes later, Severus examined the healing salve and once more deemed it brewed well enough for Madam Pomfrey's use. "Has Madam Pomfrey released you to do magic yet?" he enquired.

"No sir."

Severus continued, "In that case I will bottle the salve for you." The teacher magically transferred the salve into several small glass containers and waved his wand at the containers and the phials to label both.

Seeing that Harry had to hold on to the table whenever he had to stand up while he was cleaning his working space, Severus waved his wand, clearing the whole table in the blink of an eye. Harry threw the teacher a shocked glance, muttering, "Thank you, sir."

"Follow me," the professor sneered and left the room with billowing robes, both batches of potions tucked safely under his arm.

Harry hurried after the teacher, wondering if he would be allowed to return to his room soon. However, Severus waited for him in front of the hospital wing and motioned him to follow him inside. Harry hesitantly followed the teacher to the door of Poppy's office, taking in how different and bigger everything looked compared to the time of his parents, when he had spent so much time playing in Mum Helga's office.

"Mr. Potter brewed two potions in his detention," Severus explained in a much softer voice than Harry realised that he was capable of.

Frantically trying to lean on to the doorframe, Harry didn't notice the amazed look he received from Poppy when she thanked him profoundly, nor did he hear the teacher ask Poppy to examine him. "He told me he had a splitting headache, and he is obviously feeling dizzy," Severus explained and Poppy ushered him to a nearby bed, waving her wand over him.

"He seems to be suffering from a disturbance in his equilibrium," she spoke up, giving Harry a confused look. "What happened, Mr. Potter? Do you have any idea what caused this?" she asked as she motioned him to lie down.

Harry sighed, glad that he could lie down. "Yes. This morning, I was flying on Löwi, my familiar, and then suddenly Professor McGonagall called me down, and I was so shocked that I lost the grip on Löwi and fell a few meters in a free fall before Löwi was able to catch me, but he was able to before I hit the ground. Since then I've been having problems."

"Well, that matches my diagnosis," Poppy replied softly. "Do your ears hurt as well, Mr. Potter?"

"A bit," Harry replied, feeling bad enough not to care that Severus was listening to the whole conversation.

"All right, I'm keeping you here for the time being. You'll probably be all right by Monday morning, but we'll see." Poppy handed Harry hospital pyjamas and asked him to change, before she headed back to her office to fetch a few potions for him, with Severus on her heels.

"Thanks for bringing him to me," Poppy thanked Severus, who inclined his head.

"Do you have any idea, how that boy can be so adept at potions?" Severus enquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes Severus, I know the reason, but I cannot tell you his secret. Minerva is the only one except for me, who knows, and she cannot tell you the reason either, since we are both sworn to secrecy. However, I can assure you that everything is all right," the Healer replied sternly.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Poppy kept Harry until Monday morning and secretly told him that she would have released him on Sunday evening but didn't want him to have to go back to detention again so soon. She also told him that he was the first first year student, who had brewed a potion, which Severus had deemed acceptable enough to use in the hospital wing. To Harry's chagrin, Poppy also warned him that he could have further problems with vertigo again at anytime and ordered him to be very careful, especially when he was flying, and to come down to the ground immediately when he felt dizzy or his head or ears began to hurt.

Over the next few weeks, Harry continued serving detention every evening, and although Severus had talked to Harry in a normal voice when he had taken him to the hospital wing that evening, he was now back to his normal cranky and menacing self. He belittled Harry as much as he possibly could and always tried to intimidate the boy or he would breathe down his neck during class, hoping that Harry would make a mistake due to his presence. Sometimes during class Harry really had to try hard to ignore the teacher's insults and concentrate on his potion.

During most of the detentions, Harry had to clean dirty cauldrons, which he normally did with wandless magic, so that he could use the rest of the evening brewing potions that he wanted to brew. However, sometimes, when Professor Snape needed to brew potions for the hospital wing, he would remain in the classroom. Harry always hoped that the professor would assign him a potion to brew during his detention, but Professor Snape never did him the favour.

In the second half of November, Harry began to use his detention time, whenever he was unsupervised, to brew fruit drops with pears and ginger for his friends for Christmas. '_Maybe I should give some to Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, too_,' he mused. '_They are really nice to me_.'

Minerva came to check on Harry nearly every evening after curfew. Although she was not his Head of House, she somehow felt responsible for the child, knowing that he didn't have a Head of House and that she was the one whom he had confided in and knew the truth about him.

Sometimes, she even took the time to drink tea with Harry, provided that he had already finished all of his homework for the day. Minerva was very interested in the time of the founders and enjoyed all of Harry's stories a lot.

One day, Harry told her, "On one hand, I like it a lot not to be sorted into one of the Houses, because it gives me the chance to be friends with people of different Houses; however, on the other hand I'm a bit sad that I don't have the chance to play Quidditch for one of the House teams. In the past, my older self invented Quidditch and everyone just played against each other. Later when they had the first House teams, I could sometimes play as a reserve when a player was sick or injured."

Minerva eyed him thoughtfully. "What position do you prefer to play, Harry?"

"Seeker," Harry replied immediately. "I've always played Seeker, and as far as I know I've never lost a game."

"I will speak with Professor Dumbledore about it. Since you are not in a house, maybe we could make you a reserve player here as well. Would you be willing to play other positions as well?"

"Well, I would try, but I don't think that I'd be any good since I've never played anything but Seeker," Harry replied hesitantly.

"I will also ask the Gryffindor team if they'd let you train with them, provided that you promise not to tell the other teams about their tactics, even if you played reserve Seeker for their team," Minerva continued thoughtfully.

"Of course I will promise that," Harry answered automatically.

Later in bed, Harry reflected on his conversation with Minerva and thought longingly, '_It would be brilliant if I could play Quidditch again_.' Neither Minerva nor Harry could know that this dream would come true only two weeks later.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On the Friday evening before the first Quidditch match of the school year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, Severus entered the staff room for the staff meeting in a very bad mood. "What's wrong, Severus?" Minerva asked immediately.

"Well, it's good for you, Minerva. One of the Slytherin Beaters broke his leg in the Quidditch practise right before dinner, and Poppy told him that he wouldn't be able to play tomorrow," Severus explained, sounding very annoyed.

Minerva smirked. "Would your Seeker be able to play Beater?"

"Our Seeker? Beater? Minerva, are you all right? Are you telling me we should play without a Seeker?" Severus sneered.

"What I meant is the following," Minerva explained. "As everyone knows, Harry isn't sorted but belongs to all Houses. Therefore, he cannot play in one fixed team. However and in fact I wanted to speak about that in our meeting tonight, he is a very good Seeker, and Albus and I thought that he could play as reserve Seeker for any House team, who needs a reserve, even if he is still a first year."

"You want Potter to play Seeker for Slytherin against Gryffindor?" Severus asked incredulously.

"I'm sure that Gryffindor will lose, but, well, maybe we'll be able to let Harry play for us at another time," Minerva replied crisply.

"I've seen him flying and catching the Snitch," Rolanda spoke up. "He is absolutely brilliant."

"Do you think he could fly with my team for a while right now so they are at least familiar with each other?" Severus asked.

"He's once again serving detention in your classroom anyway. Just go and ask him," Minerva replied. "We will excuse you for a while."

Severus stormed away and entered the Slytherin common room, calling his Quidditch team together. He told his students about Minerva's suggestion and asked, "Are you interested? Would you like to practise with Potter tonight?"

"No, we don't have to practise with him," Marcus Flint, the team captain spoke up. "I know how he flies; he's extremely good. If we can get him for the match tomorrow, then of course we want him, Professor."

"Very well, Flint. Potter's serving detention in the Potions classroom. Go and ask him if he is willing to play for us tomorrow. I have to return to the staff meeting."

Harry had just finished cleaning the cauldrons and was contemplating if he should brew a potion or flash two hours into the future, when the door opened and Marcus Flint entered the room. "Hello Harry," he said in a friendly greeting. "Detention?"

"Yes," Harry sighed. "Your Head of House loves having me here in detention."

"I'd like to ask you something, Harry. Would you be willing to play Seeker for us tomorrow in the match against Gryffindor?"

Harry didn't even think about it. "Of course," he blurted out immediately.

On Saturday morning, Minerva came into Harry's room and handed him a set of Slytherin Quidditch robes. "Harry, I'm glad that you have the opportunity to play, and I wish you good luck, although I'd be happier if you were playing for Gryffindor," she said smirking.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry answered, feeling very grateful towards the teacher.

In spite of being much too excited to eat a bite, he joined Blaise and Draco, whom he was getting along with as well, at the Slytherin table for breakfast. While he was talking with Blaise and Draco, he saw the Slytherin Head of House approach the corner of the table, where a few of the older students from the Quidditch team were sitting. Like from far away he could hear the professor sneer, "I just hope that they made him reserve Seeker because of his skills and not only due to his fame."

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	16. Quidditch

**16 – Quidditch**

Feeling very apprehensive about the upcoming match now, Harry decided that he couldn't eat anymore and pushed his plate away. He returned to his room to fetch his Nimbus 2000 that his older self had brought with him to the past for his eleventh birthday. An hour later, Harry was taking to the air along with the Slytherin Quidditch team. In spite of what he had heard Professor Snape tell his students, the older members of the team were as friendly as the younger players, and Harry slowly lost his anxiousness.

He circled around the Quidditch pitch, only watching the game underneath enough to ensure that he wouldn't be hit by a Bludger, and enjoyed the bright, cold autumn day, while he was feverishly searching for the elusive Snitch. Thirty minutes into the match, he spotted his favourite golden ball at the other edge of the pitch. Noticing that the Gryffindor Seeker was observing him closely, Harry started into a tremendous dive, pulling up only seconds before he would have hit the ground. As fast as he could he pulled up again, catching the Snitch only a moment later.

While he closed his hand around the struggling ball, he noticed that everything was becoming blurry. '_I shouldn't have done such a huge dive_,' he thought, frantically trying to keep himself on his broom.

Suddenly, the Weasley twins appeared on his both sides. "Nice catch, Harry," George commended him, while Fred asked with concern, "Are you all right?"

"I feel a bit dizzy," Harry admitted in a small voice and was grateful when the twins escorted him safely to the ground.

The Slytherin team thanked Harry profoundly and instructed him not to forget to join them in their common room for their victory party that evening following dinner.

"I'm sorry, but I have detention with your head of house," Harry said solemnly.

"Again?" the Quidditch captain enquired disbelievingly.

"Yep; every evening until the beginning of the holidays," Harry replied miserably.

"I will speak with him. He normally never gives out detentions to the Slytherins, and you're part of us, aren't you!" Marcus Flint promised, patting Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, you look absolutely exhausted. Are you all right?" Blaise and Draco suddenly appeared at his side. "You want us to escort you to your room?"

Harry thankfully accepted, and the two boys accompanied him to his room. Harry gulped down a headache potion and went to bed until lunch, knowing that he had to make an appearance in the Great Hall, if he didn't want Minerva or Poppy to come looking for him.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"You were absolutely brilliant," Neville commended him in total amazement, when Hermione, Neville, Blaise, Draco, and Harry sat in Harry's room doing homework that afternoon.

"You don't mind that I helped Slytherin beat Gryffindor, do you?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Of course not," Hermione and Neville replied at the same time.

"Our Quidditch captain apparently had a huge fight with our Head of House," Draco spoke up. "He asked him to lift Harry's detention, so that Harry could attend the victory party in our common room tonight, and according to Flint, the professor gave him a twenty minutes lecture about how unimportant Quidditch was in comparison to the necessity of brewing potions and learning discipline."

"So he will probably supervise me tonight then. I already thought about how I could get away for at least a few minutes, but that won't be possible now," Harry scowled.

"Well, you know Professor Snape, don't you, Harry?" Hermione asked calmingly. "By the way, have any of you already figured out how to do this Charms essay?"

Extremely grateful that his friend changed the subject, Harry carefully helped the others with the Charm their homework was about. "How do you know all these things?" Hermione enquired in amazement.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I just imagined that it had to be like this," he replied evenly and without hesitation.

ハリーと幸せの願い

As Harry had foreseen, Severus spent the whole evening in the Potions classroom, engrossing himself in his potions, so that Harry was left to clean lots of dirty cauldrons the Muggle way and didn't have a chance to escape and visit the Slytherin common room. The whole time he was cleaning he was wondering if the professor didn't just dirty cauldrons so that he would have to clean them and extend the detention as long as possible.

At one point in the evening, one of the Slytherin prefects politely knocked at the door and entered the classroom in order to give Harry some of the sweets they were enjoying at their party. However, the professor bellowed, "Potter is in detention. Get OUT NOW!"

"Give it to Draco and Blaise. They can put it into my room. Thanks a lot," Harry said quickly, before the professor, who shot him a menacing glare, could interrupt him.

When Harry returned to his room just as curfew was beginning, he found a plate with a large assortment of sweets as well as a huge thank you card, on which all Slytherin students had written something, on his night table.

"He really is a git; don't you think so, Löwi?" Harry talked aloud to his familiar, not aware of the fact that Minerva just entered his room after knocking a few times.

"Who's a git?" Minerva asked, causing Harry to jump from the edge of his bed where he was sitting, cuddling Löwi.

"I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't hear you," Harry replied, sitting back in relief. He held the plate out to Minerva. "Would you like tea and some sweets? Please help yourself, Professor."

"Is that from the Slytherins?" Minerva enquired, and Harry watched in amazement at the way her features softened considerably.

"Yes," he replied softly. "I couldn't attend the victory party because I had to serve detention, so..." He slowly trailed off.

"I see," Minerva replied dryly and chose a chocolate frog, giving Harry a thankful nod. "I think we should have tea another time, Harry. You look exhausted and should go to bed."

"All right," Harry agreed, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that his head and his ear were beginning to hurt again. '_I have to ask Daddy Salazar if he knows a potion or can invent one for me, which I can take if it happens again_,' he mused while he drifted off to sleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays passed uneventfully. During his detentions, which Professor Snape kept up until the beginning of the holidays, he had managed to make fruit and ginger drops not only for his friends, but also for Minerva and Poppy. However, it was much more difficult to decide what he could give his parents for Christmas.

One evening, when Minerva came to check on him a few minutes after curfew, she said, "Harry, I need to ask you something. In all the Houses, we put up parchments for the students to sign if they want to remain at Hogwarts during the holidays. Are you going to stay here, or will you flash back into the past?"

Harry smirked. "I will flash back of course. However, I will have to pretend to board the Hogwarts Express along with everyone else in order to seemingly spend the holidays at the Dursleys, won't I?"

Minerva gave him a thoughtful look. "I believe that would be the best, Harry. What are you going to do on the way back? Do you think you can manage to flash straight onto the train?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I will do it just like the last time, before the Sorting. I will flash back here to my room in the morning before everyone else returns that evening. I will stay in my room until dinner time and mix with the other students when they reach the Entrance Hall. Alternatively, I could join them on the grounds and come in with them."

"All right, Harry. Would you mind if I checked on you during the day to see if you're safely back or if you need anything?"

"That would be great, Professor. By the way, I'd like to leave Löwi here during the holidays. He can mainly look after himself. However, it would be nice if you could come and look in on him every few days just to make sure he's okay." Harry threw Minerva a pleading glance.

"Of course I will. I could keep him with me in my quarters, if he's too lonely here," the professor suggested.

'No, please let me stay here,' Löwi quickly thought to Harry.

"I think he prefers to stay here, because he is able to get out onto the grounds to hunt for food by himself. If he stayed with you, he'd always have to ask you to let him out," Harry explained hesitantly.

"All right, Harry, but how can he get out of here all on his own?" Minerva enquired curiously.

Harry sighed. "In a small room behind Daddy Salazar's and Mummy Helga's bathroom, there is an entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, through which he can get out onto the grounds," he explained patiently.

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Minerva gasped, shock written on her face. "What do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?" she asked, terrified, remembering horrifying events from fifty years ago.

"Daddy Salazar's Basilisk Amaterasu is living there. If you want, I can introduce her to you; she's my friend."

"Harry, as far as I know, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once, fifty years ago, and at that time a girl died by the hands of a monster living down in the Chamber," Minerva told him, sounding far from her usual firm self.

Harry shook his head. "That may be, Professor. I have to ask Amaterasu about it. Normally, everyone, who looks into a Basilisk's eye, dies immediately. However, Dad Salazar always used to cast a Spell on her, so that she couldn't harm anyone, and I also cast the Spell on her as soon as I arrived here from the past. I have to re-cast the Spell every year though."

"By the way, Professor," Harry suddenly remembered something that he had wanted to ask. "Can you give me an idea of what I could give my parents for Christmas?"

Minerva sighed. "That shouldn't be too difficult, Harry. Have you done shopping by owl order before?"

Harry shook his head, giving the teacher an expectant look. "No Professor."

"All right; many of the shops have catalogues; I will see to it that you get some. You could, for example, give one of them, Rowena I suppose after what you told me, a copy of '_Hogwarts: A History_.' However, you should be careful to get an exemplar, which is not self-updating. Otherwise it might lose lots of information when you take it a thousand years into the past."

"Oh, that's a brilliant idea, Professor. I'm sure Mummy Rowena will like that."

"I can get it for you, if you want me to, Harry. I have to escort the older students to Hogsmeade on Saturday anyway," Minerva suggested.

"That would be so cool; the only problem is that I don't have any money," Harry replied hesitantly.

"That's not a problem. They can take the money directly from the Potter vault," the teacher explained patiently. "Mrs. Hufflepuff is the healer, isn't she?" Seeing Harry nod, she continued, "You could ask Madam Pomfrey what to get her. She knows what has been invented recently that is useful for a healer. So, she might be able to give you some advice, and furthermore she might be able to suggest something for Professor Slytherin."

"All right, Professor. Thanks a lot for your ideas; I'm going to ask Madam Pomfrey tomorrow."

ハリーと幸せの願い

In the morning, Harry visited Poppy and asked her for her advice concerning Christmas presents for his parents in the past. Poppy sighed while she thought what had been invented recently.

"Did they already have the Skele-Gro Potion, Harry, which is used to regrow bones?"

"No, I don't think so. I know how Mummy Helga used to heal broken bones, but I don't know about bones that had to re-grow."

"Hmm. Well, let me think about it. What about the Wolfsbane potion?" Poppy asked.

'_What's that?_' Harry thought absentmindedly, while he noticed with a glimpse at his wrist watch that his Potions class was going to start in ten minutes.

"Oh, sorry Madam Pomfrey; I have to run," he shouted and quickly dashed away.

"Come back later, Harry. I'll think about it and will have some ideas for you," the Medi-witch told him and proceeded to look through the book of modern healing.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Finally, the winter holidays arrived and all the students excitedly boarded the carriages that took them to the station in Hogsmeade. Harry was tempted to just flash away from his room, but Minerva had reminded him that he needed to keep up appearances, if he didn't want everyone else to learn of his secret.

However, knowing that his friends would search all over the train for him as well as at the station in Kings Cross, Harry told his four friends that he would board the train, but from there Löwi would take him home. Since the griffin often hid under Harry's robes, nobody noticed that Löwi wasn't with him when Harry accompanied his friends to the station.

He boarded the train along with his friends but immediately headed to the toilet after unobtrusively wishing them a happy Christmas. He had given all of their Christmas presents to Hedwig, his snowy owl that his older self had bought for him when he bought his school books, and instructed her to deliver the presents to his friends on Christmas morning. All the presents for his parents, as well as the rest of his luggage, were shrunken in his robe pockets.

'_I just hope I manage to arrive at the right time going so far back_,' Harry thought frightened while the train slowly began moving toward London. '_So far, I haven't flashed more than a few hours, but now I have to go back one thousand years_.'

Remembering in horror how long it had taken when his older self flashed him to the future that summer, he transformed into his phoenix form, concentrated on the exact date which he wanted to arrive in his room at Hogwarts, and flashed away in a small mist of sand.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	17. Christmas Holidays

**17 – Christmas Holidays**

The journey seemed to last endlessly, but finally Harry arrived in his own room at Hogwarts. A glimpse at his never ending calendar on the wall showed him that he had in fact managed to arrive at the right time; well, it was a day later than he had expected, but what was a day when travelling a thousand years!

Seeing that it was ten o'clock in the morning, Harry threw a glance into Helga's and Salazar's quarters, confirming that they were empty, and went to the Hospital room, where he found Helga. "Mummy Helga!" he shouted, throwing himself into her arms.

"Oh my Leofost, thank God you managed to come back! I was so worried." She gave Harry a piercing look. "Are you fine, Leofost? Was everything all right at school in the future?"

"Yes, everything is all right, and I'm glad to be back home," Harry replied, trying to release himself from her fierce embrace to catch his breath.

Suddenly, he remembered something and searched in his robe pockets, finally producing a letter. "This is from Madam Pomfrey, our Healer. She said normally she'd send it to the parents through an owl, but in my case she couldn't, so she gave it to me. Anyway, it's for you."

While Helga curiously opened the letter, Harry stole himself away in search of his other mummy. As expected, he found Rowena in her office, grading tests. "Ah, Lufu!" she exclaimed, sighing in relief at the sight of her oldest son.

"Hi Mummy Rowena," Harry replied happily, hugging her fiercely. "Mummy, I did it. I killed Voldemort's spirit like you foresaw in your vision!"

"Very well done, Lufu," the teacher replied, before she enquired worriedly, "I hope you remained completely unharmed?"

"Yes, everything went well. I depleted my magic, and our Healer and Professor McGonagall made a fuss over me, but that's all. Oh, by the way, Professor McGonagall gave me a letter for you. She said normally she'd send it by owl."

"Lufu, who exactly is Professor McGonagall?"

"She is the Gryffindor Head of House."

"Are you a Gryffindor?"

"No," Harry replied, wincing at his mother's stern look. "In fact, the Sorting Hat said that he couldn't sort me because I belonged to all the Houses and that I was to stay in my own room. But my older self told me to confide in someone in case I needed help, and since he mentioned several times that he liked Professor McGonagall, I decided to confide in her. So she treats me as if she were my Head of House, although in fact nobody truly is. She and our Healer are the only ones, who know everything about me, and I'm glad I told them because they already helped me a lot, especially as the Potions professor and Head of Slytherin is such a git."

He handed Rowena the letter from Minerva and went to see Godric, who was in his office talking to Fawkes. The phoenix greeted Harry with a happy trill.

"Hello Daddy Godric!"

"Hi Leo; how was the future?"

"Good. I'm sorted in all Houses, but Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor Head of House helped me to become reserve Seeker for all Houses, so that I can play Quidditch from time to time. I've already won one match. And I'm allowed to practise with the Gryffindor House team," Harry beamed.

"Ah, but that's great news, isn't it, Leo! Well done, son," the Headmaster commended Harry, pulling him close. "How was everything else? Did you get along well?"

"Yes," Harry replied thoughtfully. "Everything was much easier and much more relaxed than here. They don't even have Healing classes in the future, and no sword fighting, and Arithmancy is only taken by those in third year and up, and only if they choose to."

"So you surely have done well in all of your classes, haven't you, Leo?"

"I think so," Harry replied uncertainly. "The only class I'm having problems is History of Magic, because they have a ghost teach it, and it's extremely boring."

Godric chuckled and continued to question Harry. "How are the teachers?"

"Apart from the Potions professor, who is an absolute git, they are all very nice. I like the Gryffindor Head of House; she's the only one, ah well, she and our Healer are the only ones, who know the truth about me. All right, I'm off to see Daddy Salazar. Talk to you later, Daddy Godric!"

Harry quickly rushed back to his own room, grabbed his Potions book, and hurried down to the dungeons, glad that he didn't have a queasy feeling in his stomach for once upon entering the Potions classroom. "Thunderbolt! Good to have you back!" Salazar told him, his eyes fixed on the potion he was brewing.

"I'm glad to be back too, Daddy," Harry replied, sitting down next to the professor.

"Tell me everything," the tall man demanded, and Harry quickly began to explain how he had served detention in the Potions classroom every night.

"What?!" Salazar exploded all of a sudden. "My son is doing detention in the Potions classroom?! I can't believe it. Thunderbolt, you have to bring that git of a professor here and let me teach him a lesson! Oh wait, I'll think of a potion you can take to the future and mix into his drink."

Harry laughed. "That sounds good; however, you shouldn't kill him; he seems to be really good at Potions. They say he's the best Potions Master England has and the best before him was a long time ago."

Father and son were so engrossed in their conversation about Professor Snape and his interaction with Harry that they only noticed that it was lunchtime, when an enraged Helga entered the Potions classroom. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked. "Who allowed you to miss a meal?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Mummy Helga, but we had so much to talk about," Harry apologized.

"Oh, I'm going to have a few words with you later on, young man," Helga replied and ushered them out of the classroom and to the Great Hall.

クリスマス

To Harry, the three days before Christmas passed in a blur. He spent the days talking with his four parents, playing with his two small sisters and his baby brother, and brewing potions with Salazar, who intended to make him the youngest Potions master ever, especially after all he had heard about Harry's Potions professor.

On Christmas Eve, Harry snuck down into the Great Hall and placed the Christmas presents he had brought for his parents and his small siblings under the tree. Like Poppy advised him, he gave Helga a book about modern Healing methods and Salazar a book called '_Most Potente Potions_.' For Godric, he had gotten an assortment of chocolate frogs, and for Rowena a non-self-updating copy of '_Hogwarts: A History_' that ended with Harry's final demise of Voldemort and his receipt of the Order of Merlin two months before.

"You received the Order of Merlin!" Rowena stated amazed, giving her son a proud look.

"Well, yes," Harry replied in a small voice. "Fortunately, I didn't have to go to the ministry to get it, because I had depleted my magic and wasn't allowed to go," he chuckled. "So they just gave it to me. The headmaster apparently wanted to make me attend a press conference and a demise party or whatever, but Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey saved me from all of that."

"And you never thought to inform us about this?" Godric asked, giving the child a stern glare.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "I didn't think it was such a big deal; I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Not a big deal!" Godric snorted. "The Order of Merlin first class is a big deal, Leo, even in our time, and it surely will be in the future."

"Sorry, but I really had other problems to worry about," Harry spoke up, slowly beginning to get upset. "If you had detention scrubbing cauldrons every night so that you had hardly any time to study, you would have other things to think about other than of an unimportant piece of parchment."

"Well, there should be money involved too," Rowena explained gently. "You should have a look at your vault if you have the opportunity."

"Detention every evening!" Godric exclaimed angrily. "You need to bring that imbecile of a teacher here for us to teach him a lesson."

"We already spoke about that. Thunderbolt needs some more practise in flashing here and there before he can try to bring a person with him though," Salazar explained to his friend.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry enjoyed his holidays at home so much that they passed much too quickly for his likings. Soon the last day of the holidays had arrived. In the morning, Helga and Rowena ushered Harry into Rowena's office for a stern talk concerning the information Poppy and Minerva had given them in their letters. "Harry, didn't you think it was necessary to tell me that you have problems with vertigo?" Helga asked accusingly.

Harry threw her an astonished glance. "Why? I'm fine," he said simply.

"Well, Madam Pomfrey asked if we had a potion to help with it. We don't, but we have a Healing salve. I had Daddy Salazar make a batch of it, and you will give it to her, please," she added, glancing at Rowena.

"We also heard that you were brewing your own potions instead of going to the Hospital wing," Rowena continued Helga's rant. "Your teacher didn't complain about it; in fact she was commending your Potions abilities, but nevertheless that's much too dangerous."

"I had my reasons for that!" Harry replied stubbornly. '_And I'll do it again_,' he added in his thoughts.

He pocketed the letters from Rowena and Helga to Minerva and Poppy as well as the shrunken batch of potions and gave his four parents one last hug and kiss before he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed away in a mist of sand.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry managed to arrive at the right time. It was only three o'clock in the morning, but at least it was the correct date as Harry realized with relief when the glanced at the calendar on his wall. He quickly unpacked his luggage, smirked mischievously at a small phial Salazar had given him a few days previously, and lay down to sleep for a few hours. Although he had left his home in the morning, he was tired; flashing over a distance of a thousand years took a lot of energy.

When he awoke up a few hours later, Harry noticed that a pile of Christmas presents was waiting on his desk. He received books and sweets from his friends as well as an invisibility cloak, apparently from his birth father. '_Use it wisely_,' he mused. '_Strange, but maybe it'll become handy in the Potions classroom some time_. _I can also use this right now so I can find Helena to get her help with Daddy Salazar's potion.'_

He left his room in search of the Grey Lady. Finally, he was able to find her in the normal library. They talked for a while about his visit in the past, and he told her about the time they had spent together while she was a baby. After a while, he remembered the reason why he had sought her out and told her about the small phial he had received from Salazar.

"Seeing your face and knowing that it comes from Uncle Salazar, it can only be a prank," the Grey Lady said, looking at him curiously.

"Yes, it is," Harry confirmed. "Are you able to give this to the house elves and ask them to put it into Professor Snape's coffee or whatever he drinks for breakfast, please?"

The ghost chuckled and replied, "Oh yes, big brother; I can do that. However, I don't need the house elves for that. I can just enter the Great Hall during breakfast and spell it directly into his cup or even into his stomach."

"Directly into his stomach?" Harry chuckled. "Oh Helena, that would be brilliant. Thanks a lot!"

"Tell me, Harry, what's it going to do to him?"

"You don't think I'm going to tell you now, do you?" Harry laughed. "You'll have enough chance to admire the results, since it will last for a whole week, provided that he doesn't find an antidote."

"Harry, you're absolutely evil, aren't you?" Helena chuckled and proceeded to escort Harry back to his room with him hiding under his new invisibility cloak.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry spent the rest of the day in Salazar's Potions lab, trying out several potions from a new hand-written book that Salazar had given him for Christmas. When Löwi alerted him to the fact that Minerva had arrived to see him, Harry just told him to bring her through to him.

"Hello Professor, two minutes please," he apologized quickly, before he continued to count the clockwise stirs he had to finish before he could put the potion under a Stasis Spell.

"Hello Harry; how were your holidays?" Minerva asked gently, silently admiring his potions skills once more.

Harry sighed. "Absolutely brilliant, and yours?"

"Well, holidays are always very restful, even if I spend them at Hogwarts."

"So did I," Harry chuckled. "Hogwarts is my home, and I really love it; it's just so strange when I'm here in the future. I expect my parents to come out of the living room over there, but they won't. I wait for Daddy Salazar to appear in the Potions classroom and shout at Professor Snape for giving me detention, but he won't."

'_No, I'm not going to cry like a little baby_,' he thought, noticing that tears were welling in his eyes.

"Harry, you may cry; it's only natural. Many of the first year students get homesick, and for you it must be worse than for the others, because you live alone in your own rooms, where everything reminds you of your parents. I can understand that very well," Minerva said softly, gently putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Thank you, Professor; I'm sorry," Harry apologized. He sniffled a little and explained, "I received a new Potions book for Christmas, and I wanted to try out two new potions; that's why I came here."

"What kind of potions are they?" Minerva asked with interest.

"Ah, they're just healing potions, which I have to practise since I'm supposed to take my Potions NEWTs this summer, in the past I mean of course."

Minerva smiled fondly at the child. "It's amazing watching you brew potions; it's like watching Professor Snape. It is such a pity that the two of you can't get along. If you worked together, you would be absolutely brilliant. You might even be able to cure Professor Lupin," she said more to herself than to Harry.

"Professor Lupin? What's wrong with him?" Harry asked astonished.

"Oh Harry," Minerva gave him a horrified look, "please forget what I said; I cannot tell you that. It is his business and not something I can tell you. Well, I'll leave you to your brewing. Please be on time for the Welcoming feast; it will probably start around six o'clock."

"I'll be there, Professor," Harry promised, turning back to his potions. '_Of course I'll be on time for dinner tonight_,' he thought, '_but more than that I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow morning to see what Daddy Salazar's potion is going to do to Snape_.'

* * *

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	18. Salazar's Prank

18 – Salazar's Prank

In the morning, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table together with Hermione and Neville as far away as possible from Professor Snape. Half through breakfast, he saw the Grey Lady hovering behind the Ravenclaw table, grinning.

"Watch Snape," Harry whispered to his two friends, and together they watched the professor's features as they changed to those of a house elf. Each part of his body that was not covered by his black clothes, held a light pink colour, and his large floppy ears were overwhelming. Within seconds, the Great Hall became utterly quiet before the students suddenly erupted into peals of laughter.

Harry tried not to laugh too much, but when Hermione blurted out, "He looks so cute," he couldn't hold on any more.

Five minutes later, the headmaster stood from his chair and announced, "Today, all first period classes are cancelled due to an urgent staff meeting that requires the presence of all teachers. Please return to your common rooms until the second class of the day commences."

"Harry, are you coming with us?" Hermione enquired, while everyone stood from their seats to return to their House Common Rooms.

"No Hermione, I'll go to my room and see you when classes begin," Harry replied, grinning inwardly. He hurried back to his room and straight into Rowena's and Godric's living room, knowing that there was a door, which led straight into the staff room, ending behind a large tapestry. Nobody except for the founders and Harry knew about this connecting door, which was so thin that every word that was spoken in the staff room could be heard in his parents' living room. Knowing that nobody would discover him, Harry made himself comfortable on the sofa in his parents' living room and prepared himself to listen to his teachers' staff meeting.

ハリーと幸せの願い

After a few minutes, he heard the teachers filing in and heard murmured voices that died down quickly as the meeting began.

"Severus, do you have any idea, who could have done this to you?" the Headmaster asked.

Minerva snorted, and Harry could hear Severus ask back, "Who could not?"

"Well, it doesn't seem to be a Spell; otherwise Minerva and I would have been able to cancel it when we tried together," the headmaster said thoughtfully. "Therefore, I believe that it probably was a potion. However, when I asked the house elves, I was told that nobody brought a potion to the kitchens, neither last night nor this morning."

"The person could have spelled the potion straight into Severus' stomach," Poppy suggested. "I often do that to my patients."

"But who knows that Spell?" Albus enquired gently.

The room remained quiet for an instant, until Minerva resumed, "Well, it can only have been someone, who is adept at Potions and knows Healing Spells."

'_Oh no_!' Harry groaned inwardly. '_She thinks that I did it_.'

"Well, the first years won't be able to brew such a difficult potion, especially if there's no recipe around," Filius Flitwick threw in.

"We could ask all sixth and seventh year students under Veritaserum," Severus suggested grumpily. "And Potter," he added as an afterthought, causing Minerva to let out an angry snort.

"Severus, I know that you hate Mr. Potter, but even if he is very adept at Potions, he wouldn't do such a thing," she defended Harry vehemently, and a huge smile spread across Harry's face.

"Severus, you cannot just question students under Veritaserum as you well know. Only if they agree, you'll be able to question them. And where would you want to begin? Do you really want to take the time to speak with each of the sixth and seventh year students?" the Headmaster asked gently.

"Well, then at least let's ask Potter," Harry heard Severus demand.

"Why do you suspect Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked gently.

"Because he is too adept at Potions," Severus replied hesitantly. "He brews like my NEWT students, and when I made him brew two potions during one of his detentions, he brewed both of them at the same time, and he even knew one of them by heart. None of my seventh years would be able to do that. Furthermore, both of them were Healing Potions."

'_Oh no_!' Harry groaned. '_If they question me under Veritaserum, I'll be done for. I can't fight that. Or maybe... is there an antidote in Daddy Salazar's book?_' he mused, while the teachers remained quiet for a moment. '_On the other hand, I didn't brew it, and I didn't give it to him; so it's not my fault. Well, I better look for the antidote, just to be sure_.'

The headmaster sighed. "Severus, you cannot pick Harry out of hundreds of students and question him under Veritaserum, apart from the fact that he has to agree to it."

"Maybe he would agree, if he was as innocent as Minerva claims," Severus sneered, and Harry could well imagine how he raised an eyebrow at Professor McGonagall.

"Severus, when would Harry have brewed the potion?" the headmaster asked gently. "He spent the whole winter holidays at his relatives' house in a Muggle neighbourhood. When and where would he have been able to brew such a potion?"

"Well, the second class is due to commence in a few minutes," Minerva interrupted her older colleague's musing, causing Harry to jump up, startled.

'_Oh, I have to run to the Charms classroom_,' he remembered and hurriedly left the room.

The last afternoon class Harry had was Potions, and the class had to try hard not to giggle all the time when their eyes caught a glimpse of the teacher's new house elf form. Finally, the professor saw red.

"Potter!" he barked. "Did you give me the potion to drink that turned me into a house elf?"

Harry looked straight into the teacher's face and replied, "No sir."

"Who did?"

"One of the ghosts, sir."

"Did you brew the potion?"

"No sir."

"Who brewed the potion?"

"Salazar Slytherin, sir."

The whole class erupted with laughter.

"Two hundred points... no, detention with me until the end of the school year for your insolence!" the teacher roared.

"Why don't you just give me detention until the end of my seventh year? Then you don't have to remember what dates you already assigned one?" Harry replied angrily.

"That's enough! Class dismissed. Potter, you will accompany me to the headmaster's office NOW!" Professor Snape shouted in absolute rage.

'_This would be a brilliant time to take him to the past_,' Harry mused. '_But unfortunately, I still don't have experience flashing other people along with me. I might arrive in the Ice Age together with that man, and that definitely wouldn't be something that would help!_'

He slowly trailed after the teacher into the headmaster's office.

"Hello Severus, Harry," Albus greeted them. "To what do I owe the honour of your visit?" he asked curiously, offering them a lemon drop at the same time.

"Thank you, sir," Harry politely accepted, knowing that it would drive his Potions professor mad if he sucked on one, while the Potions Master threw his colleague a disgusted glare.

Severus quickly explained what had happened in the Potions classroom, while Harry was calmly sitting on his seat sucking on the lemon drop.

"Is that what happened?" the headmaster asked gently, looking at Harry.

"Yes sir," Harry replied, carefully occluding his mind, before he turned his eyes to the professor.

"Harry, may I ask you one question?" Albus asked, giving the boy a warm smile.

"Yes of course, Professor," Harry answered, curious as to what he was going to ask.

"Where did you learn to brew Potions?"

"Somebody taught me," Harry replied carefully.

"And who would that be?" the headmaster enquired gently.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you that." Harry inwardly sighed in relief, glad that Daddy Godric had put a charm on him, so that he could only tell people about his home, whom he really wanted to tell about it. '_Veritaserum will override that charm though_,' he thought anxiously. "However, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey know everything, and they can assure you that everything is all right."

"Very well my boy. Now Severus and Harry, I want both of you to abandon your grudges against each other and treat each other with respect. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied politely, thinking, '_It won't do to anger the headmaster_.'

"I will only agree after questioning this insolent boy under Veritaserum," Severus growled, giving the child a menacing look.

Albus sighed. "Harry, would you agree to answer a few questions about the incident concerning Professor Snape's present features under Veritaserum?"

"You don't have to ask the dunderhead," the Potions Master countered, seeing that Harry thought about the matter.

"No sir. He has to ask me, since you can only use Veritaserum on me, if I agree," Harry replied firmly.

To the Headmaster he said, "I trust you, Professor Dumbledore, and if you promise that you only let him ask questions concerning the recent incident, I don't mind."

"Thank you my boy. All right. However, I shall give you only one drop of Veritaserum; that should be enough." A small phial flew from the book shelf into the headmaster's outstretched hand, and Albus administered one drop of the liquid on Harry's tongue.

He soon felt everything become a bit blurry and gave the headmaster a weary look. "I believe that we can begin," Albus stated and asked, "What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"Your birthday?"

"31st of July, 1980."

"All right," Albus said, giving Severus a short nod.

"Very well; Potter, who administered the potion to me that made me look like a house elf?"

"The Grey Lady," Harry replied, surprised at his own words that seemed to have left his mouth on their own will.

The Potions Master threw him a suspicious glance and asked again, "Who brewed this potion?"

"Salazar Slytherin."

"You insolent little brat!" Severus jumped up from his chair. "One drop is obviously not sufficient, Albus. Who taught you Potions, Potter?"

"My father," Harry replied truthfully, because he was of course not able to fight the Veritaserum.

"That's enough, Harry," the headmaster threw in. "It won't help if you provoke Professor Snape."

"Yes sir," Harry answered politely, before Albus gave him the antidote against the Veritaserum.

By the time the headmaster had finished reprimanding Severus and Harry, dinner was already over, and Albus offered his guests to have dinner together in his office.

"No thank you," Harry declined and when the headmaster dismissed him with the good news that he wouldn't have detention that night, he went back to his room to begin with his homework and happily noticed that his friends were already waiting for him.

"Ah thank God, you're still alive. I thought Professor Snape was going to eat you alive," Hermione said in relief when Harry entered his room. "Nevertheless, you're very early today."

"No, he only dragged me to the headmaster's office for a talk, and I don't have detention tonight," Harry replied. "All right, let's do our homework."

Later in the evening, when Minerva came to check on him, he told her that he had been questioned under Veritaserum.

"And what did they find out?" Minerva asked in concern.

Harry laughed. "Well, I had to tell them that the Grey Lady spelled the potion into his stomach, and that Salazar Slytherin brewed the potion, but they seemed to think that I was lying around the Veritaserum. And when he finally asked me, who taught me Potions, and I replied, 'my father,' he was ready to explode."

"Let's say you were extremely lucky," Minerva said dryly. "All right Harry; it's time to go to bed."

"Yes Professor. Good night."

ハリーと幸せの願い

As could be expected, the relationship between the Potions Master and his student didn't improve at all, and the prospect of spending every evening during the whole year in the Potions classroom doing detention was grating on Harry's nerves. He was constantly tired now since he always had to finish his homework late at night, and he hardly ate anything anymore, because he was too tired to feel any hunger.

His friends, Minerva, and Poppy watched him in concern. One evening, Harry looked outright ill, and Minerva resolved to speak to the headmaster about the continuous detentions the child was serving in the Potions classroom. However, before she could speak with the headmaster, something happened that made her postpone the talk for a while.

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	19. Explosions and Splashes

**19 – Explosions and Splashes**

In the morning, Draco had a huge fight with Ron Weasley in front of the Potions classroom, and when the classroom door finally opened and everyone rushed into the room, Ron took the seat just behind Harry, Hermione, and Neville, where Draco and Blaise normally sat. Draco and Blaise grudgingly sat on the other side, and Harry noticed that Draco threw a menacing glare in Ron's direction.

Unfortunately, thirty minutes later, Draco pulled something out of his bag and aimed it at Ron's cauldron.

"What do you think you're doing?" Blaise hissed, grabbing Draco's arm just as Draco threw the small object, which deflected his aim and landed in Harry's cauldron, making the potion explode all over the boy.

As soon as the potion hit him, pain spread over Harry's whole body and he began to shiver violently, noticing that everything seemed to become strangely blurry. Like from far away, he could hear Draco's voice, "I'm sorry Harry; I didn't mean for it to land in your potion."

He also heard the teacher sneer, "Clearly, fame isn't everything and accidents can happen even to arrogant know-it-alls, who think they can brew better than others. Go to the hospital wing, Potter."

When Draco stood up in order to accompany Harry, the teacher told him to sit down. "I'm sure a genius like Mr. Potter will find the hospital wing on his own."

As fast as he could Harry left the room, thinking, '_No, I don't want the hospital wing. I want my Mum_.' He went into the toilets and transformed into his phoenix form. Trying to concentrate on his room at Hogwarts in the winter when he was eleven, he flashed into the past, so that he could get his care from his mother.

Upon his arrival, he was terrified to notice that his younger self was lying in his bed and that he was sitting on the small child's stomach. '_Oh no! I made a mistake and went too far back_,' he realized.

#I'm sorry, I didn't intend to wake you up and frighten you# he told the child softly. #I'm your future self. Don't be afraid when I transform back.# He quickly jumped from the bed and transformed back into his human form.

"You are me?" little Harry asked hesitantly, looking at the older boy in awe.

"Yes, I'm you. I'm sorry, I made a mistake," the older Harry answered, shivering. "I must see Mummy Helga. Sleep well, and I'll talk to you tomorrow." He dragged himself through the connecting door into Helga's and Salazar's quarters, where he found his parents in the living room.

Since his parents at that time still didn't know of his abilities to travel through time, they gave him very suspicious looks, but when he explained what had happened and Helga noticed that he was ill, they began to accept Harry and behave normally towards him.

Helga kept Harry in bed for two days, and his younger self kept him company during that time.

When Harry felt well enough to travel back into the future, Helga suggested that he should stay over Christmas, which was in just a couple of days, and Harry happily agreed and proceeded to tell his parents about the large Christmas tree, which he had seen at Hogwarts before he went home for his winter holidays.

Harry spent another two days in the past, talking to his parents and playing with his younger self, before he returned to the future on the day after Christmas. This time, he managed to arrive five minutes later than he had left for the past. However, since he flashed straight into his own room nobody noticed anything.

Feeling very tired from the long 'distance' flash, he decided to skip History of Magic and instead, rest until lunchtime.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry showed up in the Great Hall for lunch, his friends stormed up to him in concern. "Harry, are you all right? You looked horrible," Hermione asked, giving him a piercing look.

"I'm sorry Harry; I really didn't mean to hit your potion," Draco assured him, looking at him in concern.

"It's all right Draco; I know that," Harry replied calmingly, before he turned to Hermione. "I'm fine; everything is all right."

"What did Madam Pomfrey do to you? You look much better than before," Blaise stated, surprised to see Harry so well.

'_Oh, I forgot Snape's still in his house elf form_,' Harry mused, when the teacher walked behind them, and had to try hard to hide a laugh.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The next few weeks passed relatively uneventfully. Harry still had to serve detention every evening and was busy with his homework afterwards well into the night. Fortunately, he didn't have problems with any of his subjects except for History of Magic, and that was due to the fact that he didn't have enough time to study for the subject.

Due to the lack of time, Harry tended to frequently skip lunch and opted to sit next to the lake to begin his homework. '_Maybe I should just jump a few hours back in time every morning, so that I can get twice the amount of sleep each night_,' Harry mused one day when he was tiredly trying to get a head start on his Transfiguration homework during lunchtime, munching an apple, which he had brought with him from breakfast.

Suddenly, a menacing voice penetrated his ears. "No students are allowed to miss meals; Potter, why is it that you always assume that you're exempt from following the rules?"

"Because I don't have time to do my homework in the evening due to my detentions in the Potions classroom," Harry replied evenly, not looking up from his book.

"Well, you will write five hundred times, 'I have to follow the same rules as all the other students, and I am not allowed to miss meals.' I expect your sentences in two days, on Saturday evening."

"Yes Professor," Harry replied, feeling completely annoyed. While the professor walked back around the lake from the far end where Harry was sitting, Harry talked to the Giant Squid, complaining about the menacing professor.

Harry had just turned back to his book, when a loud splash of water penetrated his ears that by chance hit the Potions Professor full force. From the corner of his eye, Harry watched as the professor cast a drying spell on himself only to be hit by another large splash a few seconds later. The boy grinned inwardly while he kept his eyes firmly on his book, so that they didn't meet the professor's when he shot a menacing glare in Harry's direction, before he quickly strode back into the castle.

The Giant Squid returned to Harry and told him, "That was fun."

"Thanks a lot," Harry replied gratefully. "You can't imagine what that meant to me."

"You're welcome, my old friend."

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Friday evening, Minerva came over to the Slytherin table, where Harry was sitting between Draco and Blaise. "Mr. Potter, one of our Chasers has become ill. Would you perhaps be willing to play Seeker for us in the match against Hufflepuff tomorrow?"

"Yes of course, Professor," Harry replied eagerly. '_Oh my, when am I going to do the lines for Snape?_' he thought all of a sudden, putting his fork down.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Draco asked worriedly.

"No, I don't have time," Harry replied, panicking. "I have to write five hundred lines for Snape by tomorrow evening sometime, but don't ask me when."

Unaware of the concerned looks that followed him from the Head table, Harry hurriedly left the Great Hall and returned to his room, where he spent the next thirty minutes writing the sentence twenty times. "Oh no, Löwi, can you believe that I'm already late for my detention? I have to flash down to the dungeons," Harry told his familiar and quickly transformed into his phoenix form, flashing down to the dungeons and five minutes back in time at the same time.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"Potter sit down here and write this sentence five hundred times," the teacher sneered, motioning Harry to sit down in the front row. A small pile of parchments were laid out on the desk, and a sentence was written on the top parchment. 'I have to eat all the meals in the Great Hall.'

Harry ignored the teacher completely and began to write, trying to keep his face void of any emotions, although he inwardly groaned, '_As if I didn't already have enough lines to write for the git_.'

When the professor returned to the classroom ten minutes before curfew, Harry had just managed to write two hundred lines, his hand hurt immensely, and he could hardly keep his eyes open anymore.

"Give it to me; you may finish your work in your detention tomorrow," the teacher sneered, holding out his hand for the parchments.

Harry handed his work in, ignoring the teacher's frown at his bad handwriting, and hurriedly left the room after mumbling a hardly audible "Good night, sir."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Back in his room, Harry set to work immediately. '_Thank God tomorrow is Saturday and I don't have any urgent homework_,' he mused while he wrote the sentence 'I have to follow the same rules as all the other students, and I am not allowed to miss meals.' over and over.

When Minerva came to check on him an hour later than usual, apologizing for being late because of her Head of House duties, Harry had just managed to finish one hundred sentences.

"Please don't apologize, Professor, I really appreciate that you come to look in on me every night, and I can fully understand that your own House has the highest priority," Harry replied tiredly, causing Minerva to give him a worried look.

"Harry, you should have been in bed quite awhile ago," she lightly scolded the student, seeing that he could hardly keep his eyes open. "What are you doing anyway?"

Harry showed her the parchment. "I have to write that five hundred times by tomorrow evening. However, with the Quidditch match tomorrow, I'll hardly have time, so I have to finish tonight."

Minerva groaned. "I don't have to ask who gave you this extra work, do I?"

"I don't think so, Professor," Harry replied softly, unconsciously rubbing his aching forehead. '_If I could just go to bed_,' he thought longingly.

"No Harry, you will not do any more lines tonight," the professor told him firmly. "I'm going to confiscate your parchments, and you will get them back at breakfast tomorrow, which means after you have eaten your breakfast. I agree completely with Professor Snape that you have to eat all of your meals; however, I can't approve of his methods of giving you extra work, which will only lead you in missing more meals due to the lack of time. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have a chat with the headmaster and Professor Snape about this matter. Don't worry, Harry, and please get ready for bed."

"Thanks Professor," Harry replied, feeling incredibly relieved, and quickly got ready for bed, glad when his achy head met his pillow.

Minerva carefully tucked him in, noticing in amazed concern that the child had already drifted off to sleep.

Unfortunately, in his relief to be allowed to go to bed early without finishing his work, Harry had forgotten to set his alarm clock and was awakened by Minerva, when she entered his room to look in on him twenty minutes before the Quidditch match was to begin.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked in concern, sitting down on the edge of his bed, causing Harry to stir and lazily open his eyes.

"Hmm? Sorry, Pfessor, what's wrong?"

"Harry, are you going to play in the Quidditch match? It's going to commence in eighteen minutes, and you're neither dressed, nor have you eaten breakfast," Minerva replied, slightly impatiently.

"Oh no! Yes, of course, I'm going to play, Professor," Harry answered, suddenly fully awake. He quickly scrambled out of his bed, glad when the teacher left the room immediately to give him a bit of privacy. After hurriedly changing into the Quidditch outfit that Minerva had brought for him in the evening, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed down straight into the showers of the Gryffindor changing rooms, knowing that they'd only be used after the game, so that he wasn't in danger of being seen in his phoenix form. When Harry emerged from the shower, he was greeted with great relief.

"I'm sorry Oliver, I forgot to set my alarm clock," Harry apologized to the team captain as they headed out to the pitch.

When he was circling over the Quidditch pitch in the beautiful spring weather, he saw that Löwi was flying around the pitch watching the game from a short distance away. '_When I return to the past next month, I should take him with me, so that he can bring a friend back with him. It's such a pity that there aren't any other griffins around_,' he mused while he was looking for the Snitch, determined not to disappoint the Gryffindors, who were extremely kind to him, including their Head of House. Nevertheless, it took him nearly two hours to finish the match 380 – 190 in Gryffindor's favour.

Back on the ground, the Gryffindors thanked him happily, and the team invited him to their victory party in the common room.

"Thanks a lot," Harry replied gratefully. "I'll just go to my room and change, and then I'll join you, even if I have to write lines for Snape at the party."

"We'll all help you with your lines," the Weasley twins promised mischievously. "We'll see whose hand writing is similar to yours or we can easily place a spell on the writing to look like yours."

"Thanks a lot," Harry replied, feeling extremely grateful towards his friends. He slowly walked in the direction of the entrance doors to head back to his room, when all of a sudden Löwi appeared right next to him.

"Hi Löwi, did you enjoy the game?" Harry asked, glad to see his familiar.

"Yes, it was great. Harry, I have to talk with you urgently. I noticed something strange about one of the teachers," Löwi told him, sounding very concerned about something.

"Löwi, can we talk about it tonight, please? I have to take a shower and then go to the Gryffindor common room quickly," Harry replied, and when Löwi grudgingly agreed, he hurried to get ready for the party and finally left his room, taking his parchments with him.

* * *

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	20. Wolves Talk

**20 – Wolves Talk**

When Harry arrived in the Gryffindor common room, the party was already in full swing. He sat down in a corner and took out his quill and parchment, ready to continue writing his lines, when he suddenly noticed that he had brought the wrong parchments with him. Suddenly a thought struck him. '_I didn't get the parchments back from McGonagall_,' he realized terrified. '_I'll just have to begin on a new parchment and ask her to give me the rest back before my detention_.'

Taking an empty parchment, he began to write his lines. Soon, the Weasley twins cornered him.

"What are you doing, Harry?" George asked, trying to read over his shoulder.

"Who assigned that to you, and how many times do you have to write it?" Fred added.

"Snape, and I have to write another three hundred before my detention tonight. I already finished two hundred sentences of the five hundred that I was assigned," Harry explained.

"Everyone, listen up!" the twins suddenly shouted simultaneously, causing the whole room to quieten at once.

"Harry has to write three hundred sentences. Does anybody know a charm to change people's writing to look like that of someone else? If so, everybody will just have to write the sentence four times for Harry, provided that everyone is willing to help him," Fred told the others.

"I know the spell that will work; that's not a problem. How many sentences fit on one piece of parchment, Harry? Figure that out and give the adequate number of parchments out, and then we'll all help you," Oliver Wood promised, causing Harry to sigh in relief.

"Thanks a lot," Harry breathed and quickly wrote the sentence twenty times until the first parchment was full, before he handed the twins thirteen parchments. Immediately, thirteen students began to write Harry's sentence, handing their parchments off to others after they had written a few sentences.

All of a sudden, Professor McGonagall entered the room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her students huddled around the table feverishly writing on parchments instead of having a loud party that was normal following a Quidditch win.

"What's wrong with all of you? Are you ill? What are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

Katie Bell, a member of the Quidditch team, quickly filled her in. "Please Professor, don't punish anyone. Harry spent the time he needed to write all these lines for Professor Snape playing Quidditch for us, and so we have to help him too. All the Gryffindors are taking turns helping him write the ones he has left," she finished her explanation.

McGonagall looked at her students, who were giving her anxious looks, in complete amazement. "Fifty points to Gryffindor for helping a student, who is in need."

Turning to Harry, she said, "Harry, you don't have to write these lines anymore. I just spoke to the Headmaster, and Madam Pomfrey apparently complained to him as well this morning, stating that you were completely overworked and needed more time to sleep and eat. Professor Dumbledore therefore decided that from today onwards you may only serve detentions on weekdays and not on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, he asked me to watch over you as if you were a Gryffindor student and decided that no teacher is allowed to give you any more detentions or additional work without my consent."

Harry sighed in relief. "Thanks a lot, Professor."

"You're welcome, Harry," Minerva replied, smiling, noticing that the Weasley twins had already begun to transfigure Harry's parchments into paper planes.

Harry spent the rest of the day in Gryffindor, delighted that he didn't have to serve detention that night. He only returned to his rooms in time enough to avoid being out past curfew and went to bed immediately.

ハリーと幸せの願い

After Professor McGonagall had spoken to Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape was called into the Headmaster's office. The Headmaster offered him a lemon drop, even though he knew he would only receive a menacing glare in return, and motioned the Potions Master to take a seat.

"Severus," the Headmaster began to speak, "I know that Harry upsets you a great deal. However, Minerva just spoke with me about the child. She is very concerned about his health condition, seeing that he was still writing lines late last night, which he received in addition to his homework and his daily detentions with you. This morning, Poppy paid me a visit in regards to this very same thing, because Harry doesn't eat properly due to his lack of time and seems to be completely overworked. She told me that she unobtrusively checked on him yesterday and that he would certainly collapse in the near future if he wasn't able to spend more time eating, resting, and sleeping."

"Maybe someone should complain about how the brat behaves," Snape threw in, shooting the Headmaster an angry glare.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and proceeded to stroke Fawkes' crown feathers, before he replied calmingly, "Severus, I made a few decisions concerning Harry and I ask you to follow them at least for the rest of the school year. Harry will still serve detentions with you from Monday thru Friday every week; however, he will not have detentions over the weekend, nor will he have to write any lines outside of these detentions."

Ignoring the Potions Master's snort, he continued, "None of the teachers may give him additional work or detentions. If anyone has any problem with Harry, you're welcome to inform Minerva. She will act as Harry's unofficial Head of House from now on and she will decide on what punishment he is to receive."

"And why might that be?" Snape angrily interrupted the old man. "Potter is not a Gryffindor. He is as much a Slytherin as a Gryffindor."

"Yes Severus, that is true. Then let me ask how often you have visited Harry in his room and looked after him?" the Headmaster asked gently.

"I've been to his room once," the Potions Master admitted.

"Well, Minerva told me that she is looking in on him every night after curfew, because he is still a child and needs someone to look after him, and she is obviously the one among our four Heads of House he confides in," Dumbledore calmly replied. "In order to improve your relationship with the boy, I suggest that you speak with him or brew potions together with him during his detentions. I know that it won't be a real punishment for the boy since he obviously loves to brew potions, but I believe that it would help the two of you greatly, if you were able to maintain a better relationship. You could even ask him to help you with the Wolfsbane potion. If he is as adept as you always say, he should be quite capable of assisting you."

Snape let out a snort. "Do you believe the boy would be willing to speak with me in civilized manner? And even if he was willing to assist with the Wolfsbane potion, it wouldn't help much, if he could only help on weekdays and for the few hours between dinner and curfew. The Wolfsbane potion has to be brewed regardless of the day of the week, and it takes a whole day to brew with very few breaks."

Dumbledore sighed. "If you tried to speak with the boy in a civilized manner, he would surely be willing to serve detention on a Saturday instead of Friday or Monday. If he knew that he was helping with an important potion, I'm certain that he wouldn't mind assisting you until the early morning, if he didn't have to serve detention the next day, provided that his physical condition allows it and that Minerva will be of course informed beforehand."

Severus sighed. "I'll try to speak with the boy, or maybe I'll try to brew something together with him. Will you be speaking to him as well?"

"I'll call him here tomorrow morning and speak with him. I know that it's unnerving to see that he seems to be hiding something, but as he said when we questioned him about the house elf potion Minerva and Poppy know what it is, and both of them seem to be very concerned about him and his welfare. Maybe, if you manage to gain his confidence, he might be willing to share the same information with you."

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it was nearly lunchtime, and he was shocked at how long he had slept. For the first time since he had been back from home, he felt well rested. '_I hope they won't punish me because I missed breakfast_,' he mused silently when all of a sudden Löwi jumped on his stomach and licked his face.

"Good morning, Löwi," Harry whispered happily, hugging his familiar.

"Harry; it's good that you were able to sleep in today," Löwi replied, glad that Harry was able to cuddle with him. "I wanted to tell you something, Harry. I think Professor Lupin is a wolf."

"A wolf?" Harry asked astonished. "Is he a wolf Animagus, like I'm a phoenix Animagus?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure that he's a wolf," Löwi insisted.

'_What does he mean? McGonagall is a cat, and most of the other teachers will be Animagi too_,' Harry mused in confusion.

"No, he's not as normal as all the others," Löwi explained.

Suddenly, a thought penetrated Harry's mind. "Do you mean that he's a werewolf? I remember Dad Salazar told me that there were werewolves in the past, until he developed the wolfscure."

"I don't know, but he's strange, and different from an Animagus."

Harry remained pensive for a few minutes. '_Is something wrong with Professor Lupin? Löwi obviously thinks it's important. Since he tried to speak with me about it yesterday, and made sure to tell me this morning as soon as he could. But if he was dangerous, they wouldn't let him teach here at the school_.'

"Perhaps he needs your help," Löwi said, able to understand what Harry was thinking.

"I'll talk to Professor McGonagall about it," Harry told his familiar in determination and scrambled out of his bed to get ready in order to be on time to for lunch in the Great Hall.

"Professor, may I speak with you for a moment after lunch?" he addressed Minerva as soon as he arrived in the Great Hall.

"Of course, Mr. Potter, and afterwards the Headmaster would like to see you in his office," the Deputy Headmistress replied sternly, leaving Harry to wonder if he had done something wrong.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry took the offered seat behind Minerva's table and told the teacher about Löwi's warning concerning the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Your Löwi is very clever," she finally said. "However, whatever is wrong with Professor Lupin has no influence on his teaching here and I can assure you that he is no danger to anyone in this school. Since it's not my secret, I'm not able to tell you anything more detailed, and I can't imagine that he'd appreciate it if you asked him directly."

"All right, Professor," Harry agreed, knowing that the professor was firmly keeping his own secret from everyone as well. "It's just that Löwi said maybe I'd be able to help him."

"How could you help him? Professor Snape is already brewing a potion for him every month, and there isn't anything else that can be done," the teacher replied in surprise.

"I don't know. From all what I heard it sounds as if he is a werewolf, but I also know that there aren't any since Dad Salazar invented the cure," Harry said in a quiet mumble. "I'm sorry, Professor, for bothering you."

"Harry, you're not bothering me," Minerva replied gently, glad that his words became louder since she didn't understand what he had mumbled before. "Harry, please don't forget to see the Headmaster. I think he wants to speak with you about your detentions and his decision in regards to them, which I already informed you about. Don't worry; everything will be all right. By the way, the password is 'Chocolate Snakes'," she added, smirking.

"All right. Thank you, Professor," Harry said and quickly left the room.

'Strange,' he mused on his way to the Headmaster's office.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"Harry, how good that you found the time to join me," Dumbledore greeted him, offering him a lemon drop.

Harry declined and stepped over to Fawkes, who bowed his head in order to get his crown feathers stroked.

"That's strange," Dumbledore spoke up pensively. "I've never seen Fawkes begging anyone to pet him except for me."

#Many egg turns in the future, I'm going to be his familiar# Fawkes explained with a happy trill, causing Dumbledore to content himself with the answer.

"Harry, please take a seat. I believe that Professor McGonagall has already spoken with you in regards to my decisions concerning your detentions." Seeing Harry nod he continued, "I've also talked with Professor Snape and asked him to change the content of your detentions. I wish for the two of you to try to achieve a better relationship. Seeing how brilliant you are at brewing, you could assist Professor Snape with his potions or spend the time brewing other potions to reduce his work load."

"I'd love that, Professor," Harry said quickly.

"He also has to brew the Wolfsbane potion once a month, which is very time consuming, and I advised him to seek out your help instead of making you scrub cauldrons. I expect that you behave civilly towards Professor Snape and behave yourself. Do you understand?"

Noticing that the professor's voice slowly became stern, Harry replied, "Yes sir, I promise that I'll try to do my best."

"That's all I can ask for, my boy," the Headmaster said gently and dismissed the boy.

'_The Wolfsbane potion?_' Harry mused while he absentmindedly left the Headmaster's office, unconsciously heading towards the library. '... makes the werewolf keep his mind...,' he read, looking at the book in disbelief. '_Is Professor Lupin a werewolf? But why doesn't he take the cure? Maybe nobody knows how to make the cure? It would be possible that it's lost in this time. Professor McGonagall said I shouldn't ask him; so what can I do_?'

When he passed the hospital wing on his way back to his room, he suddenly thought of something. He hesitantly backtracked and entered the room, which was fortunately empty, and knocked on Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Mr. Potter," the Mediwitch said, giving him a piercing look. "What's wrong?"

"Hello Madam Pomfrey," Harry replied hesitantly. "Nothing is wrong; I just wanted to ask you something." He cleared his throat to buy him some time while feverishly thinking about how to ask his question. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned by chance that Professor Snape is brewing the Wolfsbane potion every month."

"That's correct," Madam Pomfrey replied in surprise.

"Well, I was wondering, I mean...um... Is there a werewolf at Hogwarts? Frankly speaking I suspect Professor Lupin, because Löwi said something about him being a wolf. But that isn't what I was going to ask; I just wanted to know why he doesn't take the wolfscure potion to cure his lycanthropy?"

"The wolfscure potion?" Poppy asked incredulously. "Harry, in this time there is no cure for lycanthropy. I'm sure about that. Did they have a cure in the past?"

"Of course," Harry replied simply. "I can brew it for you if you want."

Poppy quickly laid a hand on Harry's forehead to confirm that he didn't have a fever, before she told Harry, "I'd appreciate that very much, and I believe that the whole magical world would be grateful if you re-introduced that potion or brewed it yourself to cure all the werewolves. However, you have to speak with Professor Snape about the matter, because he is a Potions Master, who is entitled to distribute potions to people. He would need to stop brewing the Wolfsbane since it would probably interfere with your potion."

"I have to speak with Professor Snape?" Harry asked terrified. "No, Madam Pomfrey; I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that, especially since I don't want to tell him how I know about the wolfscure. Plus he wouldn't believe me anyway."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Poppy said softly. "I can understand why you are reluctant to speak with him. I know that you don't like him, but please consider how many people you'd be able to save from this terrible illness."

'_Oh no; why does it have to be Snape? I'd talk to anyone but him_,' Harry mused horrified with the possibility, and noticed that his head was beginning to hurt terribly. '_A warning_,' he thought miserably, and Poppy watched in concern as the child's face turned completely white.

* * *

_tbc…_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	21. To Tell or Not To Tell

**21 – To Tell or Not To Tell**

"Harry, what's wrong?" Madam Pomfrey asked in concern, motioning Harry over to a chair.

"It's all right," Harry replied slowly, trying to get a grip on the pain in his head. "It's probably a warning. Dad Salazar placed a charm on me that prevents me from telling my secret to anyone, whom I don't want to tell it. Me even considering, telling Snape probably triggered a warning, causing me to get a splitting headache. Could I possibly have a headache potion?"

"Of course," Poppy replied and left the room returning a minute later with a small goblet holding a light orange potion.

Harry gulped down the cool liquid and sighed in relief when he handed the goblet back. "Thanks a lot, Madam Pomfrey," he said gratefully.

"I could offer that I speak to Professor Snape, provided that you don't mind me telling him," Poppy offered gently.

Suddenly, Harry had an idea. "No. I know what we could do. Oh well, yes, I'd appreciate it very much, if you could speak to Snape, but don't tell him the truth. I have a book with potions recipes, which is handwritten by Dad Salazar. He gave me a copy of his own book, before I came to the future. We could tell him that I have the book and know how to brew the potion, and if he asks where I got the book, I'll tell him that I received it by owl delivery on my eleventh birthday. I don't mind telling Professor Lupin the whole truth though, if you think that he'll keep my secret."

"That's a good idea, Harry," Poppy replied warmly, "and yes, I'm sure that Professor Lupin will keep your secret. Do you want me to tell them right now?"

Harry sighed. "Why not? I should do my homework, but well, I won't have any more time to spare tomorrow either. Lupin should be told first in case that he doesn't want to test a potion I brewed."

"He will, Harry, but yes, I'll call Professor Lupin first," Poppy replied and headed to the fireplace.

Over the next thirty minutes Poppy and Harry told the stunned professor how Harry had grown up.

"Harry, I don't want to get my hopes up, but are you sure that you can brew this cure for lycanthropy?" Remus asked in amazement.

Harry laughed. "Yes, I can brew the wolfscure potion. It's a NEWT class potion, but Dad Salazar made me study all the NEWT class potions after I took my OWLs. Um... when is the next full moon?"

"On Wednesday night, which means that Professor Snape will begin brewing the Wolfsbane tonight, because I'd have to take it tomorrow, Tuesday, and on Wednesday," Remus explained. "Did you really take your OWLs in the past?"

"Yes, I can show you my results sometime. So that means we have to tell Snape immediately. Professor Lupin, I don't want him to know the truth, so please be careful with what you say. We're going to tell him that I received the book with the recipes as well as a few old ingredients for my eleventh birthday."

Remus gently laid an arm around Harry's shoulders, while Poppy hurried to the fireplace to call Snape. "Thank you, Harry, for telling me the truth. I really appreciate it, and I'm very happy for you. You've become an amazing young man."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied just when Snape stepped out of the fireplace.

"Lupin, Potter," he acknowledged their presence, before he turned to Poppy. "What is it? I don't have much time, because I have to brew the Wolfsbane tonight."

"That is why you were asked to come here, Severus. You won't have to brew it anymore," Lupin blurted out, looking very happy.

"And why would that be? Going to gallivant the grounds in the moonlight? Perhaps together with Potter?" Snape sneered.

"In fact it's the opposite," Poppy began to explain. "Harry is in the possession of a book of Salazar Slytherin. Said book contains a recipe of the wolfscure potion, which seems to be a cure for lycanthropy. Harry knows how to brew the potion and is willing to brew it for Professor Lupin tonight."

"And you believe that?" Snape sneered. "Well then maybe I'll never have to brew the potion for you anymore, Lupin."

"Professor, I merely wanted to inform you that you don't have to brew the Wolfsbane potion tonight," Harry replied icily. "Professor Lupin is willing to try the potion out, and believe me I know what I'm doing. If you want to supervise me, you're welcome, although I don't have detention tonight," he added, remembering what he had promised the Headmaster.

"Before you do anything, you'll attend dinner in the Great Hall, all three of you," Poppy threw in with a stern voice. "Afterwards I will accompany Severus and Harry to the Potions classroom, and I'll assist if Harry needs help preparing the ingredients."

ハリーと幸せの願い

After dinner, Harry hurried back to his room and into Salazar's private lab to gather the recipe book as well as all the ingredients he would need, before he flashed down into the dungeons, knowing that he had to start as soon as possible, since he still had homework left to do that night.

Harry gently instructed Poppy what she could do to help him, while Snape and Lupin were watching in amazement how competent and certain Harry was as he began brewing the difficult potion.

"How long will it take you to brew?" Poppy asked after a while.

"Five hours," Harry replied absentmindedly, concentrating on stirring the potion thirty times counter clockwise.

Poppy and Remus gasped simultaneously. "Harry, why did you start at that time of the day? You could have brewed the potion tomorrow," Remus asked.

Harry shook his head. "I don't have any more time before Wednesday because of my detentions, and it's safe to take this potion within ten days before the full moon until the day before the full moon."

"I'm sorry, Harry..."

"Now shut up, Lupin!" Snape hissed at the man. "The brewing of a difficult potion affords an enormous amount of concentration. Potter can't listen to your babbling all the time."

Harry threw the Potions professor a grateful look and continued to concentrate on his potion.

Two hours later, the potion had to simmer for five minutes, and Harry sat down on a chair in relief, fiercely rubbing his forehead, before he all of a sudden remembered something. "Excuse me, but could one of you contact Professor McGonagall and tell her that I'm here and won't be able to return on time for curfew? Otherwise she'll be worried if she comes to check up on me and I'm not there."

"I'll contact her," Lupin offered, hurrying to the fireplace.

"Harry, did you say you still had homework to do today?" Poppy asked, giving the boy a concerned look.

"Yes," Harry admitted. "It will take me about two hours. Could I perhaps get another headache potion later on?"

"No Harry, you won't do anything tonight, and I'm going to take you with me to stay in the hospital wing overnight, because I want to make sure that you'll get enough sleep before I let you attend classes tomorrow. I'll excuse you with your teachers including your homework. I can't give you a headache potion right now, because the last one was only a few hours ago, but I'll give you another one later tonight."

"Potter, consider this to be your Monday and Tuesday detention," Snape spoke up, remembering the Headmaster's advice.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape," Harry said gratefully and returned to his cauldron, while Poppy continued preparing the ingredients under Harry's supervision until she was called to the hospital wing.

"I'll take over," the Potions Master offered and took over her work, so that Harry could finish his potion at midnight.

Harry fetched a goblet from the shelf and filled the potion in, giving it a piercing look and sniffing at it, before he handed a goblet full of the slightly yellowish potion to Remus, who had been sitting there quietly.

Under Professor Snape's watchful eyes Remus gulped down the potion, slightly relaxing when nothing happened.

"It's a bit late to ask, Potter, but do you know of any side effects to the potion? Seeing that the book is written in Parseltongue, I'm unable to read it myself," the Potions Master enquired.

"As far as I know there are none," Harry replied tiredly, unable to suppress a yawn while he cleaned his working space.

"It's all right, Potter, I'll clean up. You need to go to bed. Lupin, can you please take Potter to Pomfrey on your way back?" Snape spoke up, surprising Harry completely.

Twenty minutes later, to Harry's absolute annoyance he found himself in one of the crispy white hospital wing beds. He had tried to argue with the Mediwitch pointing out that he was completely well, but she insisted on keeping him, so that he could sleep in on Monday morning.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry did not awaken until lunchtime, feeling well rested and slightly excited. '_Will the potion work?_' he mused anxiously. '_Why shouldn't it work? It always worked in the past, so it should work now_,' a voice in the back of his mind replied coolly.

Since he didn't have detention on Monday and Tuesday he had enough time to do his homework, and he even managed on Tuesday evening to have tea in his room along with Hermione, Blaise, Neville, and Draco until everyone had to return to their Houses in time for curfew.

On Wednesday, Harry was extremely excited, although he couldn't understand the reason. '_Dad has healed many werewolves with that potion, and I'm sure that I brewed it correctly_,' he tried to calm himself in vein.

After their Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Lupin told him to stay back for a moment and once more thanked him profusely.

"You don't have to thank me, Professor; I didn't invent the wolfscure potion; I merely brewed it for you, and I think that I brewed it correctly..." He slowly trailed off, noticing that his voice was wavering. "I hope you'll be all right, Professor," he added sincerely. '_I wish so much that I could help him and heal him; I really like the man_,' he mused.

"I'm sure that I'll be all right. You must be an extremely good brewer considering that even Professor Snape acknowledges the fact," Lupin said calmingly. "Nevertheless, I'm going to spend the night in the Shrieking Shack, so that I wouldn't be able to harm anyone, even if the potion didn't work and I transformed."

"I'm sorry Professor, but what is the Shrieking Shack?" Harry asked astonished.

"The Shrieking Shack is an old building, which Dumbledore had the house elves build when I was a student. It's half way down the road to Hogsmeade. I always spent the nights of the full moon there when I was a student, which was before the Wolfsbane potion," Lupin explained gently. "All right, Harry; let's head down to dinner."

ハリーと幸せの願い

During his detention, Harry had to concentrate hard, especially as the teacher didn't make him clean cauldrons today but asked him to brew a batch of Pepper-up potion for the hospital wing. '_Is he trying to be nice?_' Harry thought amazed, glad that he could brew even though he had some problems concentrating full on what he was doing. Two hours later, when Harry finished the potion, Snape looked piercingly at the liquid and sniffed, before he took a small amount on a tea spoon, putting it in his mouth, and nodded contentedly.

"All right, Potter. You can bottle the potion and take the batch to Madam Pomfrey for use in the hospital wing."

Harry hurried to fill small phials with the potion and clean his work space, before he hesitantly asked, "Is there anything else?"

"No, you may go," the teacher dismissed him, and Harry quickly left the room, hardly able to believe that his detention was already over and it was only nine o'clock.

Harry walked by the hospital wing to give Madam Pomfrey the potion. The Healer thanked him profusely, giving him a piercing look.

"Harry, are you as excited as I am?" she asked gently.

Harry sighed. "I don't know why, but I'm very excited, although I know that my Dad has cured many werewolves using the same potion. Are you excited as well? You seem to be so calm to me," he blurted out.

"No. I have known Professor Lupin since he was eleven and came to Hogwarts about twenty years ago, and of course I know him quite well, because I always accompanied him to the Shrieking Shack the night of the full moon and back to the hospital wing the following morning, where he would normally stay the day after his Transformation. Therefore, tonight is a very important night for me."

Harry noticed in amazement that tears began to well in the Healer's eyes, and suddenly, he had an idea. "Madam Pomfrey, if Professor Lupin transformed, at what time would he be back in his human form tomorrow morning, and at what time are you going to fetch him?"

Poppy remained thoughtful for a few seconds, before she replied, "Around six o'clock tomorrow morning. In fact, I arranged with him that I'd retrieve him tomorrow morning at seven o'clock when he has rested a bit after the possible Transformation since he insisted that he'd stay over night in any case, even if he didn't transform. Why?"

"You know that I'm a sand phoenix, don't you? Would you like to flash to tomorrow morning and have a look?" Seeing that the woman gave him an unbelieving look, he added, "So far, I've never taken anybody with me, but it shouldn't be a problem. You just have to grab my tail feathers and not let go on the way."

"All right, Harry," Poppy replied a bit apprehensively and sighed. "Let's try it out."

Harry transformed into his phoenix form, motioned Poppy to hold on to his feathers and concentrated hard on Remus Lupin tomorrow morning at six o'clock. Putting a bit more magic into the flash than normal because he had to transport a passenger, he flashed away in a wave of sand.

His first thoughts when they arrived were that the Shrieking Shack was very dusty and that he had managed to flash a passenger through time for the first time.

* * *

_tbc…_

_He already flashed his older self at the beginning of his first year, but Harry obviously forgot about the fact. Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	22. Dangerous Potions

**22 – Dangerous Potions**

'_Thank God_,' Harry mused. '_If I managed to flash Madam Pomfrey nine hours into the future, I should be able to flash the greasy git one thousand years into the past, shouldn't I?_'

Suddenly, he remembered why they had flashed to the Shrieking Shack in the first place and looked over to the bed where Madam Pomfrey was waving her wand at Professor Lupin, who was peacefully asleep.

"Harry, I don't think he transformed last night," she said finally. "His condition would not be this good if he had just transformed back."

Hearing the Healer's voice, Remus woke up with a jolt. "Madam Pomfrey, Harry," he said sleepily, before he all of a sudden sat up and turned to Harry. "Come here, Harry!"

Harry curiously stepped over to the bed at the commanding voice and felt himself being pulled into a bear hug. "Harry, you cured me! I can't even thank you enough for what you did for me! James and Lily would be so proud of you!"

"Congratulations Remus!" Madam Pomfrey threw in only to scold him lightly, "Don't squash the poor child. He can hardly breathe."

"Harry, are you sure that I only have to take the potion once, or do you have to brew it every month?" Remus asked suddenly.

Harry shook his head. "No, you only had to take it once; it's a permanent cure. I'm positive," he added firmly. '_My parents will be so proud of me; I can't wait to tell Dad Salazar that I managed to heal a werewolf with his cure_,' he mused.

"I thought so," Remus replied. "Apart from the usual transformation, I felt horrible even before and after the full moon, but since I took the potion Sunday evening I have felt completely fine for the first time since I can remember. Today will be the first time I am able to teach classes right after the full moon. Is it already time to leave?" he turned to Poppy.

Madam Pomfrey smirked. "Well, you're free to go. It's only six o'clock. May I tell him, Harry?"

"Of course," Harry laughed.

"For us, it's still yesterday evening nine o'clock. But neither of us could wait to see if you were all right, so Harry flashed us a few hours into the future. We'll have to flash back in time in order to get some sleep. We can accompany you back to the castle and flash from there, Harry, can't we?"

"Of course," Harry replied, feeling extremely happy.

"You don't have to escort me. I'm completely fine and am able to return to my quarters on my own. Harry, take care flashing you and Madam Pomfrey back and sleep well," Remus replied in determination.

"All right, Professor; I'll see you in class then," Harry agreed and transformed back into his phoenix form, concentrating on the hospital wing at quarter past nine the previous evening, where they re-appeared in a small flash of sand.

"Thank you so much, Harry, for taking me there and of course for healing Remus," Poppy said warmly.

"That's all right," Harry replied, yawning. "Good night, Madam Pomfrey." '_It's much more tiring to flash someone than flashing alone_,' he mused while he returned to his room, glad that it was it was so close to the hospital wing.

By the time Professor McGonagall came to check on him, Harry was already fast asleep, more peacefully than the teacher had ever seen him sleep. He even had a small smile playing on his lips, leaving the professor to wonder what had happened.

"He seems very happy tonight," Minerva said to Löwi, smiling, while she gently stroked the griffin's fur.

Löwi purred contentedly, obviously liking the old lady, who smelled like a cat.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The next few weeks passed relatively uneventfully. Snape and Harry both tried to behave civically towards one other, and Snape had Harry brew potions during his detentions instead of cleaning cauldrons, which had the additional advantage that his detentions were usually finished earlier than before, so that Harry had a bit more time to cope with his assignments.

However, a week before the beginning of the holidays was the next full moon, and while Madam Pomfrey and Remus had kept quiet about the fact that Remus was healed, this time the Headmaster found out that Snape hadn't brewed the Wolfsbane potion.

"What do you mean you don't have to brew the Wolfsbane potion anymore?" Dumbledore enquired sternly.

"Potter brewed a potion from an old recipe book that was written by Salazar Slytherin and cured the werewolf," Snape replied shortly. "Please ask Lupin; it's not my secret to share."

"I shall do that then," the Headmaster replied warmly. "I'm glad that you're relieved from the burden to brew that potion every month."

Being questioned by Professor Dumbledore, Lupin admitted that Harry had in fact cured him of his Lycanthropy. "I'm sorry Headmaster, I was so happy and wrapped up in my happy thoughts that I completely forgot to inform you," he apologized. "I don't think Harry wants many people to know though; he is a very private person."

"I know," the Headmaster replied thoughtfully and decided to speak with the boy.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry anxiously entered the Headmaster's office, politely declining the lemon drop that was offered to him.

"Harry, you managed to do something that many people over several hundred years have tried to do without any success," Dumbledore began, causing Harry to groan inwardly.

"I merely brewed a potion that I knew was in a potions recipe book, which I received for my eleventh birthday. It's Salazar Slytherin's book, and the recipe was named 'wolfscure potion' and was described as being a cure for Lycanthropy. When I heard by chance that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, I offered to brew the potion for him."

"Might I have a look at that recipe, my boy?"

"Yes, but it's written in Parseltongue," Harry replied. '_Thank God Dad Salazar did write it in Parseltongue for me_,' he mused, while the Headmaster remained thoughtful.

"Harry, there are many werewolves out there," he said finally. "Don't you think we should cure all of them, my boy?"

"Of course," Harry replied carefully. "I don't mind brewing many batches of the potion."

"Would you be willing to work together with Professor Snape? If you managed to cure the werewolves, the Ministry would surely enquire and want to know how you managed it, and they will hardly believe that an eleven-year-old boy was able to do what generations of Potions Masters failed to do."

"That's not my problem, Professor. I don't care what they believe. I'm willing to help the people, but I have to do it on my own. I can't work together with Professor Snape," Harry replied firmly, thinking about how the professor had sneered at Hermione, taking points off her because she accidentally sneezed in her cauldron causing her potion to explode that very morning.

"Maybe you could think over the matter during the holidays, my boy. If you agreed, it would even be possible to bring you back to Hogwarts earlier this summer," the Headmaster told Harry.

'_No Headmaster, that won't be possible_.' Harry grinned inwardly, looking forward to seeing his parents soon. "I'll think about it, Professor," he replied in order not to anger the Headmaster.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Together with his friends, Harry took the Hogwarts Express to King's Cross, and while everyone was being picked up by their parents, Harry remained on the train and flashed to Diagon Alley. He had spoken with Professor McGonagall a few days earlier and had asked her for a list of books, which he would need for his second year, and she had managed to hand him a list along with a warning that some of the titles could change before the beginning of the school year.

He had also spoken to Löwi and suggested that the griffin should accompany him to the past in order to bring a friend to the future with him, so that he wouldn't be alone all the time, and Löwi had happily agreed.

Harry quickly bought his school books, glad that he had enough money left from the money given to him by his older self. '_I have to figure out how to get money_,' he mused and decided to ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Lupin when he returned from the past.

After buying a few presents for his parents, he flashed back into the past along with Löwi. This time, he managed to arrive on the second day of the summer holidays.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry transformed back into his human form and looked at the self adjusting calendar on the wall that showed, 'June 12th, 992, Monday, 9:23 p.m.' He glanced at the doors to his parents' chambers, seeing that the door leading to Rowena's and Godric's quarters was open, and a broad smile spread over his face. '_They left the door open for me just like when I was little, so that I know where they are_,' he mused while he hurried into his parents' living room.

"Lufu!" Rowena was the first to notice him and motioned him over, making space for him on the sofa.

"Leofost! Thank God! You managed to arrive at the right time," Helga sighed in obvious relief, hurrying over to the child to pull him into a bear hug.

"Hello Mum Helga, Mum Rowena, Dad Godric, Dad Salazar," Harry replied, smiling. "I'm so happy to be home!" He let himself sink onto the sofa between his two mothers, who cuddled him from both sides.

"You look much better than the last time you were home," Helga stated contentedly.

"Are you still in detentions every night?" Salazar enquired.

Harry let out a small snort. "I had to serve detention in the Potions classroom from the first day of classes to the last, except for a few days when I wasn't well and Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore forbade Snape demanding that I serve detention on the weekends anymore; and then Snape let me off for two days, because I brewed the wolfscure for a werewolf, which helped Snape, because he was brewing something for him every month to help with the transformations."

"There are werewolves in the future?" Salazar asked in surprise. "Why don't they brew the wolfscure for them?"

"Because they don't have it; it seems to have gotten lost over the centuries," Harry replied. "I only found out by chance that our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was a werewolf, and then I brewed the potion for him and cured him."

"So everybody knows by now that you come from the past, Leo?" Godric enquired.

Harry shook his head. "No Dad, and I don't want them to know. Only Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, and now Professor Lupin knows as well. He was the one I cured and I told him because I really like him. Plus he was a good friend of my biological parents, and they would certainly have wanted me to cure him and to tell him the truth, but nobody else knows, although the Headmaster and Professor Snape seem to be very suspicious."

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the first week, Harry really enjoyed being back home. He spent lots of time with his parents, asking all the questions that had arisen during the school year. When the first week was over, he began doing his summer assignments in the mornings and studying for the Potions NEWTs in the afternoons.

One day, Löwi returned from the forest with a female griffin in tow. He introduced her to Harry, telling him, "This is my best friend, and she has agreed to come with us to the future. We hope to have a huge family with many cubs in the forest, just where we lived here."

"All right, Löwi; I'm very happy that you found such a good friend," Harry replied happily, laughing at the thought of his familiar becoming a father to a pack of cubs. '_I just hope I'll manage to flash them both with me_,' he mused. '_Maybe we should practice flashing one day to the next, before we go back to the future_.'

ハリーと幸せの願い

One day, Harry was helping Rowena arrange the time tables for the coming school year, answering the many questions about the future that she had. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Oh by the way, Mum Rowena," he said a bit hesitantly, because he wasn't exactly sure if his mother would take it well, "Helena told me that she had some unfinished business with you and wanted to apologize to you. I don't know the details, but you obviously had a big fight with her when she was older. She asked me to bring you to the future whenever you are ready to speak with her. Please tell me, if you'd like to come to the future and speak with Helena. I'd really appreciate it," he added slowly.

"All right Harry. We can do that at some point," Rowena replied thoughtfully. "Please tell her that I'm glad that she wants to talk and apologize, Lufu. I accept her apology, even if I have no idea what the whole thing is about, considering that she'll only be a year old in four weeks. Anyway, maybe I'll be able to prevent us from fighting, if I talk to her in the future."

"Thanks Mum Rowena," Harry replied, sighing in relief. '_Thank God; I hated that they were fighting_,' he mused, suddenly realizing how late it was. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I have to hurry; Dad Salazar is waiting for me in the Potions classroom. I have to practise another potion for my NEWTs."

ハリーと幸せの願い

"This potion is extremely dangerous, Thunderbolt," Salazar warned him. "If you get even a drop of it on one of your limbs, you won't have the limb anymore, because it is very acidic and will eat it completely away. So please be extremely careful."

"All right," Harry replied and began to brew the potion after the recipe that his father had laid out for him.

Salazar took a seat next to Harry and quietly watched him competently inserting the ingredients. "This is one of the potions you might have to brew on your exam," he told the boy, seeing that the potion was nearly finished.

'_Thank God that I still have a month left to practise_,' Harry mused, throwing a glance at his father.

"Thunderbolt!" Salazar shouted horrified, noticing that his son's split second of absentmindedness caused the potion to explode. He threw himself over the boy, forcing him under the table, before he himself screamed in pain as he felt the boiling liquid eat his arm away.

'_I'll never be able to brew potions anymore_,' was Salazar's last thought before the world turned black.

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to Mrs. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	23. Flashing People

**23 – Flashing People**

Hearing his father cry out in pain, Harry scrambled free from his grip only to see in horror that his arm was gone. Without even thinking, he grabbed Salazar's other arm and thought intensely, '_one hour back, just one hour back_,' and with a small splash of sand he flashed them an hour back in time.

Harry threw his father a piercing look seeing that he had still both arms intact, before he couldn't hold himself on his legs anymore and quickly sat down on the floor.

"What's wrong, Thunderbolt?" Salazar enquired in concern.

"It's all right," Harry replied tiredly. "It was just exhausting to flash without transforming into my phoenix form first."

"Thanks for saving my arm, Thunderbolt," Salazar said gratefully, magically cleaning up the workspace. "I assume that you don't want to brew anything else today."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Fortunately, that was the only incident in the Potions classroom, and two weeks before the end of the holidays, Harry managed to take his Potions NEWTs, receiving an 'O' for his work.

During the remainder of the holidays, Helga forbade him to do any school work and Salazar threw him out of the Potions lab and classroom, so that Harry spent a lot of time playing with his younger siblings and visiting Löwi's friends in the forest, and sometimes Amaterasu would tag along as well.

"Thunderbolt, don't forget to visit Amaterasu as soon as you're back to the future and renew the charm on the castle for the new students. You'll always be safe from her because of the charm I have on you; you know that, don't you?"

"Yes Dad, I know, and I'll go to see her before the Sorting. I hope that I'll have more time this school year anyway since my detentions ended at the end of the school year, and I don't intend to give Snape a chance to give me any more. Well, you never know with him though. He hates me so much that he doesn't really need a reason to give me detention, especially since he can't take points off me."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry enjoyed his time at home so much that he was tempted to just remain in the past instead of returning to the future.

"They need you in the future, Lufu," Rowena told him solemnly after being plagued by more visions about her oldest son's future.

"Leofost, you don't have to wait until Christmas. You can come back here anytime you want. If you flash back at the right time, no one will even know that you left," Helga said soothingly, pulling her son close.

"I know, Mum, and perhaps I'll do that. I know I've people who want to help me like Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, and I also have my friends, although they can't really help me because they don't know the truth about me..." Harry slowly trailed off.

"Do you want to have a phoenix familiar with you for some time while you are there, Leo?" Godric asked, smirking, causing Harry's eyes to widen.

"A phoenix familiar? Do you mean Fawkes, who is Professor Dumbledore's familiar in the future, or are you suggesting that you accompany me in your phoenix form?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Well, it would surely be interesting to spend some time in the future," Godric replied pensively, "and since you could flash me back to the day I left here, no one would miss me, isn't that right?"

"Well, yes," Harry replied, smirking. "If you want to spend some time in the future, I'll of course take you with me, Dad, but if you only want to accompany me because I might be homesick, you don't have to do that. None of the other students have their parents there either. Fawkes would certainly be thrilled to have you there though."

"I'd love to accompany you, Leo, provided that you'd be willing to bring me home as soon as I get homesick," Godric replied, grinning. "Our quarters are still there in the future, aren't they?"

"Of course," Harry laughed. "But what will people say if I all of a sudden have a phoenix familiar and then he suddenly disappears again?"

"You left him at home. You have two familiars anyway, and you're only allowed one at Hogwarts; at least that's how it currently is."

At first, Harry thought it was just a joke, but Godric really intended to accompany him for a few weeks or months. Harry and his parents decided that he should leave for the future a few days before the beginning of the new school year, so that he had a span of a few days during which he had to bring Godric back and didn't have to concentrate on a fixed date.

Since he couldn't flash three animals at once, Harry decided to leave Löwi and his girlfriend in the past for the time being and only took Godric in his much lighter and smaller phoenix form instead of his human form with him.

Knowing how tired he had been after flashing Poppy only a few hours, Harry concentrated on the day before the Sorting and managed to arrive in his time early on the morning of 31st of August.

"I'm sorry Dad, but I have to take a nap first. Why don't you go and have a look what your quarters are like in this time or go to visit Fawkes? But please remember, the Headmaster doesn't know about our relationship; so please don't reveal your identity to anyone. If you see Helena, could you please ask her to tell Professor McGonagall that I'm back safely?"

"I'll do that, Leo, and don't worry. I'll be careful. I'll be in our quarters when you wake up."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry woke up when McGonagall entered his room. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to wake you up," she apologized regrettably.

"It's all right, Professor. I don't want to sleep through the whole day, and I have to show you something anyway." He let the astonished teacher through the other door in his room, which Minerva had never seen open before.

"I brought someone with me from the past," Harry explained, smiling. "Dad Godric wanted to accompany me for a few weeks. He's going to stay in his phoenix form except for here in my parents' quarters. Dad? Are you here?"

"Here, Leo, I'm in the living room," he could hear his father's voice and introduced Minerva to Godric.

McGonagall was completely amazed to get to know the founder she adored so much, and Godric enjoyed meeting the Head of his own House of a thousand years into the future.

ハリーと幸せの願い

When the two teachers were still talking to each other a few hours later, Harry decided to pay Amaterasu a visit and renew the charm on the castle, so that everyone would be safe from her. He spent a while with the basilisk and told her that Löwi had found a girl friend and that he'd bring the two griffins as soon as he'd flash into the past the next time. He also promised to visit Amaterasu more often during the coming school year, "provided that the Potions professor doesn't assign me so many detentions this year," he added, sighing.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Fawkes and Godric, who appeared as best friends in front of the whole school, decided to join the Welcoming Feast sitting on one of the large candle holders behind the Gryffindor table, from where they spouted nasty comments that nobody except for Harry was able to understand. Fortunately, Dumbledore was sitting too far away.

#He seems a bit crazy# was Godric's comment about Dumbledore.

#Well, he's a meddling old coot, who is so foolish to think he knows everything about the chicks here# Fawkes replied to the man, whom he respected most among all those he had once bonded with as a familiar.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Godric enjoyed himself talking with Fawkes during the day and with Professor McGonagall and Harry in the evenings. Harry was extremely glad that he so far had managed not to earn any detentions.

One Saturday afternoon, Harry and Godric managed to convince Minerva to join them for a short visit to Amaterasu. The teacher was very reluctant, but when not only Harry but even Godric assured her that it was safe to do so, she hesitantly followed Harry and Godric through Salazar's and Helga's bathroom into the Chamber of Secrets.

"Hello Harry," Amaterasu greeted him enthusiastically, looking astonished at Godric. "Godric?" she hissed in surprise.

Harry explained why Godric was here and introduced Professor McGonagall to the basilisk, who always seemed to be happy having visitors. After a few minutes, even Minerva didn't look as anxious anymore.

However, a few minutes later, Amaterasu's expression suddenly became stern.

"Harry, ssstrange things are happening here at the moment, and I think I need your help," she spoke up. "Last week a red haired girl came into the chamber with a boy and wasss holding a black book. They came from the entrance in the washing room, and they wanted to make me do strange thingsss. The boy spoke my language, and he told me I should leave through the entrance where they came from and kill all the Muggle born studentsss. I can't kill anyone anyway because of the sspell, but I don't want them to come here anymore. They are not welcome here. The same boy came a long time before and made me kill a student, because I wasn't safe at that time."

Harry immediately translated to the professors what Amaterasu had told them, and they told him to promise the basilisk that they would think about the matter and try to help her.

Very confused Harry followed the teachers back into their quarters. "Dad, I think I'll flash to see Mum Rowena and ask her, if she knows anything. Considering how many visions she had about my time here in the future..." he trailed off uncertainly.

"I think that's a good idea," Minerva said warmly. "Even if Amaterasu can't harm anyone at the moment, we should find out, who is trying to make her do something, and prevent them from doing so. Do you think you could take me with you, Harry? I'd love to speak with Professor Ravenclaw."

"Okay. You don't mind, Dad, do you?" Harry enquired. "We'll probably be back tonight."

He instructed Minerva to grab his tail feathers and transformed, concentrating on a Saturday afternoon exactly one thousand years in the past and flashed, landing in his own room.

In Harry's room, they were greeted by Löwi and his girlfriend, who seemed to take an immediate liking to Professor McGonagall, who gently stroked her fur.

"Professor, would you mind waiting here for a moment? I'll just go and see where my mother is." Harry hurried into his parents' quarters, finding Rowena in her office.

"Mum," he said quietly in order not to give her a fright.

"Lufu!" Rowena said, seeming very happy at the sight of her oldest son. "What are you doing here? Are you ill? Is something wrong?"

Harry laughed. "No; I just came because I need your advice. And I brought Professor McGonagall with me. She's waiting in my room."

"Oh, then I must go and talk to her. I'm glad you brought her, Lufu," Rowena replied gently, already hurrying into Harry's room.

"Professor McGonagall, I'm glad that you managed to come and visit us. Harry has told me a lot about you," Rowena said gently and motioned Minerva and Harry through her living room into her office.

"Thank you, Professor Ravenclaw; I'm very happy that Harry was able to bring me with him. It's not everyday one gets the opportunity to get to know any of the founders personally of the school that we all adore so much."

"Oh, please call me Rowena. I'll introduce you to my friends Helga and Salazar later; they'll be equally keen to get to know you. First of all I'd like to hear the reason for your visit, Lufu."

Harry sighed and quickly explained to his mother what Amaterasu told him earlier. "Do you have any idea what is going on with this black book?"

Rowena closed her eyes and remained thoughtful for a moment, before she said gravely, "Yes, Lufu, I know what it means. It means that the evil, whose soul you vanished a year ago, has created Horcruxes housing parts of his soul. This book is one of them, and there are three others. You have to get all of them and bring them here, so that Godric and Salazar can destroy them. I'm going to help you. First of all, you have to get the diary. Professor McGonagall, I'm really sorry, but in my visions I saw you helping Harry with his task. I'll put the memory in my Pensieve, so that you can watch."

"By the way please call me Minerva, and I'll do what I can to help Harry," the teacher replied, giving Harry a fond look.

Ten minutes later, Minerva and Harry left the Pensieve, stunned. They had seen Ginny Weasley speaking with Tom, who had emerged from the diary.

"Harry, can you flash us back, so that we can take the diary off Ms. Weasley?" Minerva asked gently.

"No Minerva, Harry can't flash back on the same day, especially not with a passenger. It's much too tiring, and Helga, his other mother, would have my head if I let him go right now. You'll have to stay here until tomorrow at least," Rowena replied sternly, before Harry could even consider flashing back to the future.

"All right," Minerva agreed in understanding.

"It's time to head down to the Great Hall for dinner anyway," Rowena replied. "Let me introduce you to my colleagues, Minerva."

While Rowena pulled Minerva with her to the Head table, Harry sat down at the Ravenclaw table amongst a group of first and second years, sitting right next to a girl with curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes that twinkled so warm that Harry was extremely attracted to her.

"Hi, I'm Harry," he said in a small voice, horrified that he could feel himself blushing.

"Hello Harry; I'm Godiva," the cute girl replied warmly, before she enquired, "Where are you from? Are you new a new student here at Hogwarts?"

"I'm visiting my parents," Harry replied hesitantly. "I'm a second year, and you?"

"Me too," the girl replied, throwing Harry the cutest smile he had ever seen.

Harry and Godiva were so engrossed in their conversation that Harry not only forgot to eat his dinner but that the two twelve-year-olds only noticed that dinner was finished when Rowena came to the Ravenclaw table to fetch him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you," Harry apologized to the girl, throwing her a hesitant smile.

"I don't mind at all, Harry," Godiva replied, smiling. "Will you be here for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Yes," Harry replied excitedly. "What time?"

"Eight o'clock?" the girl suggested.

"All right, I'll see you then," Harry said happily, following his mother out of the Great Hall.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry spent the evening with his parents, siblings, and Minerva in Helga's and Salazar's living room, playing with his small siblings, before he offered to put the little ones into bed. Later on, he sat on the sofa, cuddling with Helga and Rowena, slowly drifting off to sleep in Helga's arms with a happy smile playing on his lips.

"I think Harry has a crush," Rowena chuckled, "on Godiva O'Connor."

On Sunday morning right after breakfast Harry and Minerva flashed back to the future. After their arrival in Harry's room on Saturday evening, Minerva told Godric about Rowena's vision, and Godric and Harry insisted that they'd accompany her to Gryffindor tower under Harry's invisibility cloak.

When Professor McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room with the invisible founder of the House and Harry in tow, Ginny was sitting on one of the sofas writing in her diary.

"Ms. Weasley, please follow me to my office for a moment," the teacher said into the silence that had spread over the common room upon her arrival.

In her office, the professor motioned Ginny to sit down, before she said in a stern but gentle voice, "Please hand me this diary, Ms. Weasley."

All of a sudden, Ginny's features changed visibly, and the girl hissed in Parseltongue, "No, that'sss mine."

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing as well as ObsidianEmbrace for her brilliant beta-ing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	24. Several Tasks

**24 – Several Tasks**

"Does the girl speak Parseltongue?" Godric whispered to Harry, and the boy shook his head.

"No."

Emerging from under the invisibility cloak, Godric pulled his wand, waving it at the girl, whose expression returned to normal. She looked around in confusion and anxiously asked, "What happened?"

"Ms. Weasley, I am confiscating this diary. It's extremely dangerous because it contains very dark magic," Professor McGonagall said gently, holding out a hand, glad when Ginny hesitantly relinquished the diary without any fuss. "Please come to see me, if you want to speak about the matter and about what has occurred. I'm sure that I can give you an explanation if you're ready," Minerva told the girl, who thanked her and left the room as soon as she was dismissed.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Sunday morning, Harry and McGonagall flashed back to the past, arriving on the same day they had left, and handed the diary to Godric and Salazar. The two founders took the book to Amaterasu, who punctured it with her fang, so that it was completely destroying it and the Horcrux it contained.

"Mum, you told us there were three other Horcruxes. When and where can I find them? I'd like to get rid of all of them as soon as possible," Harry asked eagerly.

"I know, Lufu," Rowena said, sighing, and showed them another one of her visions in the Pensieve that showed Harry and Minerva taking a ring out of a ruin. "I hope that your phoenix instincts can tell you from the vision where and when you're taking the ring, Lufu."

"I think so," Harry replied and looked at Minerva. "Let's try it out, Professor." Before anyone could protest, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed away as soon as McGonagall had grabbed his tail feathers.

"These are the ruins of the vision," the professor said in complete amazement, pulling the ring out of the ruins even before Harry had transformed back. She put the ring into her robe pocket, once more grabbing Harry's tail feathers, and Harry flashed back to where they had just come from.

"No more flashing today, Lufu," Rowena said sternly, while Minerva handed Godric the ring. "There are two more Horcruxes left, but you can go and get them tomorrow and the day after."

Harry and McGonagall did as Rowena had instructed them and brought the other two Horcruxes to Godric and Salazar, who destroyed them immediately.

"Thank God this is done," Harry mumbled contentedly when he sat together with his parents and Minerva in Rowena's and Godric's living room on Tuesday evening after putting his siblings to bed.

McGonagall chuckled, watching as Harry slowly drifted off to sleep, cuddled close to his mother Helga. "It's funny," she spoke up, smiling. "In our time, to me, Harry always seems a lot older than his true age; perhaps it's because he is all on his own, while his classmates all have housemates to rely on, but here in the past, he seems so much smaller and shows his true age, because he has his parents here. You raised him very well, and I'm extremely grateful to you. I knew his parents well, and I'm really glad that he found such a wonderful home in contrary to the one our Headmaster placed him in."

On Wednesday morning, before Harry and his professor returned to the future, the founders invited Minerva to come again with Harry during the Christmas holidays.

"They begin in six weeks; I'm so looking forward to them," Harry said happily, causing everyone to smile. He embraced his parents and his siblings, before he once more transformed into his phoenix form, turning his back to Professor McGonagall, so that they could flash back together.

During the six weeks until the winter holidays, he once more flashed into the past to take Godric home and to bring Löwi and his girlfriend to the future.

'_It was a good thing I took Löwi into the past, so that he could choose a friend to come here with him_,' Harry mused, noticing that Löwi looked much happier than before. '_But what am I going to do with them during the holidays, if Professor McGonagall is coming home with me?_' he thought in concern.

As if she had been able to read his thoughts, Minerva told him one day that he could ask Madam Pomfrey to look in on the griffins during the holidays.

"Oh that's good idea," he replied gratefully. "I was worried about what I should do with them. Well, they should be able to live in the forest though," he added, remembering that Löwi had told him they wanted to build a family in the forest.

ハリーと幸せの願い

It was only a week before the beginning of the holidays when Harry and Professor Snape had their next fight.

On Saturday morning, Harry played Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team, finding that the Snitch was nearly impossible to catch, because of it hiding in the low hanging slow clouds. Because it was so cold and it had begun to snow the night before the game, he was beginning to shiver on his broom and felt extremely relieved when he finally managed to catch the small ball after nearly three hours.

The Slytherin team cheered and invited him to join their victory party, knowing that he didn't have detention anymore since he often spent the evenings in the Slytherin common room along with Blaise and Draco. The Slytherins even tolerated that the group occasionally brought Hermione and Neville with them.

"You did a brilliant job, Potter. It's extremely difficult to catch the Snitch in a snowstorm like we had it today," Flint told him happily.

"Well, I was very fortunate that it happened to be where I looked," Harry replied, smiling. '_I'm really lucky that I haven't lost a game so far_,' he mused, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that it was already past curfew.

"Hermione, Neville, we have to go back; it's already past curfew," he urged his friends and accompanied them to the entrance hall, before he hid in a shadowy alcove and transformed into his phoenix form, flashing to his room and ten minutes into the past at the same time.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Monday morning, Harry woke up at five o'clock, noticing that he had caught a bad cold playing Quidditch in the snow for so long. He considered asking Madam Pomfrey for a potion but dismissed the thought, afraid that she would keep him, which he definitely didn't want, especially since he had Potions in his last morning class, which he still liked even if he didn't like the teacher. He dragged himself to his father's lab and brewed some Pepper-up potion, which he gulped down, feeling better immediately.

However, when he was brewing his potion in the Potions classroom he had a hard time concentrating, because he still didn't feel completely well, and all of a sudden he noticed that his potion had taken on a light green colour, although it was supposed to be yellow. '_I probably stirred in the wrong direction when I mixed the birch bark in_,' he mused, '_but I can counter the effects with a slight amount of star fern_.'

He was just about to stand up and head to the potions ingredients cupboard when all of a sudden the teacher was standing in front of him with a sneer on his face and the Evanesco spell on his lips, mumbling something about dunderheads and brewing. Before Harry could tell the teacher to leave his potion alone, because he was going to remedy his failing, he unintentionally let loose a bout of accidental magic and placed a protection spell over his potion, which threw the teacher back two metres.

Shocked by his own actions but still intent on finishing his potion, Harry summoned the star fern from the cupboard and by the time the teacher had recovered enough from his shock and was standing in front of Harry his potion looked perfect.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry apologized, feeling really sorry for what happened; "it was not my intention to hurt you."

"Detention until the end of the school year, Potter," Snape hissed between gritted teeth, looking at Harry's potion with an unbelieving expression. "The Headmaster will hear about this."

When Harry showed up for his first detention that same evening, he once more apologized and tried to explain what had happened that morning, but the teacher was not in a mood to listen and made him clean dozens of dirty cauldrons.

Harry finally told Professor McGonagall everything, who promised to speak with the Headmaster about the matter, but even Professor Dumbledore was unable to get through to Snape, who insisted that Harry had willingly attacked him and deserved the large amount of detentions, even if Hermione, Blaise, and Draco stood up for Harry and told the teachers what they had witnessed. Everyone, except the Potions Master, believed the students account of what had occurred.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Saturday morning, Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express along with everyone else, only to head in the washroom, transform into his phoenix form, and flash back to the platform, hesitantly taking a seat on Professor McGonagall's shoulder. "It's all right, Harry," the older teacher whispered, while she listened to Professor Snape complaining about the dunderheads.

"Thank God for two Potter-free weeks," the Potions Master sneered, causing Minerva give him a crisp reply.

"And two Minerva-free weeks as well, since I'm going for a vacation together with my phoenix familiar."

"Since when are you having a phoenix familiar?" Snape enquired, looking at the beautiful bird on her shoulder in awe.

"Ah well, since a few months ago," McGonagall replied, smirking. "Shall we go?" she asked, turning to Harry.

The phoenix slightly inclined his head and left his spot to hover in front of the professor, so that she could grab his tail feathers. While Harry concentrated on the past, he recalled the conversation he had with the teacher the night before. He had hesitantly asked if she would mind arriving right before the Leaving feast the evening before the beginning of the holidays, and McGonagall had laughed and guessed that he'd like to have dinner at the Ravenclaw table with his new friend, before she had told him that she didn't mind at all. '_All right, Friday evening before the Christmas holidays 992, my room at Hogwarts_,' Harry thought and flashed away only to arrive right in front of his desk to look at his calendar, relaxing when he noticed that he managed to arrive on the correct day.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"Well done, Harry," Professor McGonagall commended him as soon as Harry had transformed back into his human form.

"Normally, it's not a problem and I can time my arrival to a specific hour," Harry explained, smiling. "Would you like to go to your room, Professor, or shall we go and look for Mum Rowena first? I don't think they will be expecting us to arrive today."

Minerva laughed. "Let's go to see your mother first. If necessary, you can still flash us to tomorrow. As long as you don't flash us to the ice age..."

"No thank you. I still feel cold if I think back to the Quidditch match in the snow I played in last Saturday," Harry returned, with a mock shiver.

The teacher gave him a piercing look. "But you're feeling all right now, aren't you?"

"Yes of course," Harry replied, grinning, and left the room, leading Minerva through the halls to his mother's office instead of using the shortcut through his parents' private quarters.

"My, Lufu, aren't you early this time?" Rowena said happily, pulling her oldest close. "Hello Minerva, I'm glad to see you were able to come with Harry again."

"Hello Rowena. I'm sorry, if we're unexpectedly early, but Harry wanted to attend the Leaving feast, probably to see which was better, yours or ours last night," McGonagall replied teasingly.

"Oh, I'm sure we have the prettier girls here," Rowena smirked, "especially in my own House of course."

"Well, I'm going to see Mum Helga. Are you coming with me, Professor?" Harry said as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Later, when Harry entered the Great Hall with Helga and Minerva, he hesitantly pondered, whether or not he dared sit at the Ravenclaw table again. 'Maybe she even forgot about me or won't want to talk to me,' he mused worriedly. However, he was lucky. As soon as he passed the Ravenclaw table, a soft voice penetrated his ears.

"Harry! Here!"

He looked in the voice's direction and blinked as he looked straight into Godiva's chocolate brown eyes. "Hello Godiva," he said shyly, noticing that butterflies seemed to be having a party in his stomach.

"I was hoping that you'd come; it's such a pity that I have to go home tomorrow. Will you still be here at the end of the holidays?" Godiva asked softly.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm glad to see you too; that's why I came home a bit early," Harry replied hesitantly.

After dinner, they went for a walk around the lake, and Godiva told him that she had to visit her mother, who was working as a Healer at a small hospital, called St. Mungo's. Her father had died a few years ago when a werewolf attacked him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Godiva," Harry replied, feeling horrible for his friend. Noticing that she was shivering in the cold, Harry suggested, "It's cold outside, isn't it? Shall we go to the Potions classroom and brew fruit drops? "

"Yes, it's very cold. I'd like that, but I have no idea how to make fruit drops," the girl replied, smiling.

"I'll show you; it's really easy. Dad Salazar taught me when I was a little tyke."

They spent the rest of the evening in the Potions classroom, brewing orange and honey drops, which Harry instructed Godiva to take home for Christmas, before he escorted her to Ravenclaw tower just before curfew.

"Thunderbolt! Where have you been?" Salazar asked when Harry finally showed up in his parents' living room, where the teachers were having tea together.

"Why? I was in the Potions classroom," Harry smiled innocently. Receiving strange looks from the five teachers, he explained, "It was too cold outside, so I decided to show Godiva how to brew fruit drops. I think she liked them," he added happily.

"Well, that's definitely an interesting place for a first date," Godric spoke up, chuckling, causing Harry to blush deeply.

"That wasn't a date," he protested vehemently. "We merely spent some time together after dinner. She told me everything about her family."

"Don't let them tease you, Harry; she's a very nice girl," Helga told him. "She sometimes helps me in the hospital room, and she even asked me if I'd take her as an apprentice after her OWLs. If she still thinks so in three years' time, I intend to work with her."

ハリーと幸せの願い

The winter holidays passed much too quickly for Harry's liking. As much as he regretted that Godiva wasn't there, he enjoyed the time with his parents and teaching Salazar several potions that he knew from the future. They also spent a great deal of time brewing experimental potions together.

Hearing that Harry had to serve detention in the Potions classroom again, Salazar had a stern talk with Professor McGonagall, asking her about a certain Severus Snape.

Minerva sighed. "Well, he really seems to dislike Harry, because he looks so much like his biological father, who was Severus' worst enemy while they were at school, even, or perhaps more so because the man once saved his life. He's also very suspicious of Harry because he excels at Potions in spite of being raised by Muggles, and the fact that he could brew the wolfscure potion for Professor Lupin didn't help of course, especially as the recipe Harry showed him was in Parseltongue, so that he still doesn't know exactly how to brew it himself."

"All right," Salazar said thoughtfully. "Thunderbolt, I have an idea. Come; you can help me."

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	25. More Detentions

**25 – More Detentions**

Salazar and Harry spent the whole afternoon brewing something, which Salazar finally bottled and handed to Harry saying, "Give that to Helena and tell her to spell it into Snape's stomach."

"What will it do to him?" Harry asked, torn between expectance and anxiousness.

Salazar chuckled. "It will change his speech to the better. Whenever he chooses to use an unfriendly voice, he'll sound exceptionally friendly, and if he wants to use a bad word, it'll turn to a good one. Well, just let me say, the whole school might have a bit of fun while he is under the effects of this potion."

"And how long will the spectacle last?" Minerva asked, smirking.

"Until the end of the school year," Salazar replied firmly.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The rest of the holidays passed far too fast for Harry's likings. Since Minerva had told him it was up to him when they'd return to the future, he had pondered if they should remain in the past until after the Welcoming feast, but knowing that he could better time his flashing when he was well rested, especially when he had to take a person with him, he decided to leave the morning before.

Harry politely asked McGonagall, "When would you like to arrive back home, Professor?"

"I should be back a day before the students, which means on Sunday evening at the latest, because we always have a staff meeting the morning of the Welcoming feast, in order to prepare for the students' arrival."

"All right," Harry replied and transformed. Even if he had already flashed Minerva several times, he was still nervous taking his teacher with him, especially since she needed to be there at a certain time. To his great relief he managed to time their travel perfectly, and they arrived in his room late on Sunday evening.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Salazar's potion for Professor Snape, to the enormous amusement of the whole school, was a huge success.

"If I awarded all of our colleagues points for friendliness, Severus would receive first place this year," Harry heard Professor Dumbledore say to McGonagall and could hardly suppress a smile.

Unfortunately, even if the teacher was forced by the potion to speak in a friendlier way, his behaviour didn't improve at all, and like during his first year Harry continued to suffer through his detentions. Snape seemed to have forgotten that he had made him brew potions in the end of Harry's first year and resolved to make him clean dirty cauldrons every night.

Fortunately, McGonagall and Pomfrey noticed that Harry was beginning to miss meals again due to the lack of time and complained vehemently to the Headmaster, who once more forbade Snape to make Harry serve detentions on the weekends.

"Harry," the Headmaster said gently, "this is not only for this year but for all of your school years here at Hogwarts. If you serve detention from Monday to Friday, be it with Professor Snape or with any other teacher, you will not have to serve detention on Saturday and Sunday. Please keep that in mind, and if any teacher complains about it, come to me."

"Thanks a lot, Professor," Harry replied, sighing in relief, "although I've never had to serve detention with any of my other professors except for with Professor Snape so far."

"I know that, my boy, I know," the Headmaster replied gently. "By the way, Harry, do you by chance know anything about a potion or a spell, which was placed on Professor Snape?"

"I didn't do anything, sir," Harry replied sincerely. "It'll wear off at the end of the school year, as far as I know though."

ハリーと幸せの願い

One Saturday morning, Löwi woke Harry up very early and told him that he needed him to accompany him to the forest.

"All right, Löwi, can you take me there?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Sorry, Harry, but I'd like to go through the Chamber and bring Amaterasu as well. I'll pick you up on the way," Löwi explained, already dashing away excitedly.

Just as Harry arrived on the grounds, Löwi showed up in front of him, instructing him to sit up, and took him into the forest, where Amaterasu was already waiting for them and happily greeted Harry.

"It's right here," Löwi said, turning around one tree, and Harry gasped in surprise, seeing Löwi's wife along with two newborn griffin cubs.

"Oh, they're so cute," he breathed in complete amazement. He spent the rest of the day in the forest, leaning his back against Amaterasu, watching the happy griffin family. He returned to the castle just in time for dinner but wasn't very hungry and headed straight back to his room.

Back in his room, Harry noticed that all of a sudden he was feeling worse than he had ever felt in his life. His whole body was sore, his skin itched, and he felt hot and cold at the same time as if he had a high fever. Suddenly, he remembered that his older self had come back to the past from his second school year when he had basilisk pox. '_That's it_,' he thought, horrified. '_I have basilisk pox. I have to flash back while I can_.' He quickly wrote a note for McGonagall, placing it in the middle of his table, so that she couldn't miss it when she came to check up on him in a few hours, and flashed into the past.

As before, he arrived in his own room to his younger self looking at him in delight. "Harry!" the small boy screamed running over to him.

"Sorry, Harry, you better keep away from me," he told his younger self, noticing that his voice began to fail. "I'm very ill. That's why I obviously managed to return to the wrong time again." He quickly stepped into Helga's and Salazar's bedroom to wake his mother.

"Mum, I think I caught the basilisk pox," Harry told Helga, who quickly waved her wand at him and sighed, before she took him to the hospital room, so that he wouldn't get the other children sick.

It took Harry a whole month to recover and by the time he flashed back into the future, a phial with a potion for Amaterasu with him, he still felt so weak that he failed to arrive during the weekend, on which he had left, but exactly a week later.

He gave the calendar a horrified look, before he threw himself on his bed in exhaustion. '_How could that happen?_' he mused. '_I missed a whole week of classes. Maybe I should try to flash a week back, but I'm too tired right now_.'

Harry was just about to drift off to sleep when Professor McGonagall entered his room, apparently alerted by a spell that he had returned.

"Harry, what happened?" she asked in concern, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"I'm sorry, Professor; I wanted to be back a week earlier, but I somehow failed," Harry explained. "I thought I was well enough to flash and Mum said I could go. I don't know what happened. Shall I try to flash back a week?"

"No Harry. It was good that you left me a message, so that I knew you went home, and Madam Pomfrey and I told everyone that you were ill and couldn't have any visitors. How long did you stay in the past?"

Harry sighed. "I completely failed to travel back to the right time and spent a month in the past together with my seven-year-old self, but we were in the hospital room with the basilisk pox the whole time, so it wasn't much fun."

"All right, Harry; go to sleep then. I want you to let Madam Pomfrey check on you tomorrow; she must decide if you are well enough to attend classes Monday or not, and I can imagine that she'll save you from your detention for at least a week."

"Thanks Professor. I'll speak to her tomorrow," Harry promised.

On Sunday morning, he first of all went to the Chamber of Secrets, spelling the potion for Amaterasu into her stomach, before he obediently went to the hospital wing. Indeed Madam Pomfrey decided that Harry shouldn't have to serve detention for last three weeks of the school year, much to Snape's chagrin and Harry's delight.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the last week of school before the holidays, Harry pondered how he could get his school books for his third year. However, before he could ask either McGonagall or Lupin to accompany him to Gringotts, Minerva handed him his books one evening, telling that she had owl ordered them for him with the money being taken from the Potter vault.

Harry thanked her profusely and asked if either she or Lupin could take him to Gringotts during the next school year.

"Yes Harry; Remus would probably be the best to take you there, and you'll need some money during the next school year, if you intend to participate in the Hogsmeade visits. You need the signature of your guardians though," she added thoughtfully.

"Um... Professor, who is going to see the parchment besides you?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Since Professor Dumbledore appointed me as your guardian for the time while you're here, it is sufficient, if you give it to me. Just let one of your parents sign the parchment. I'll be careful not to let anyone else see the signature."

Godric signed the parchment for Harry, and Harry happily gave it to McGonagall as soon as he arrived back from the past at the end of the summer holidays. After the first Defence class of the new school year, Remus kept Harry behind.

"Harry, Professor McGonagall relayed to me that you need to go to Gringotts. I can take you there on Saturday if you want."

"Oh Professor, that would be great. I've never been there, and I need to know how I can get money, plus I have to get some money before the first Hogsmeade weekend."

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Saturday morning Harry flashed to Diagon Alley along with the Defence teacher. Remus took him inside the bank and explained to the Goblin, "Harry Potter would like to see his family vault."

"One moment; Griphook will take you to the united family vault of the Potter vault and the Gryffindor and Slytherin vaults," the Goblin replied businesslike, causing Harry to gasp inwardly. '_My parents left me their vaults as well_,' he thought in amazement.

Twenty minutes later, they reached an extremely huge vault. "I'm sorry, but this vault is the farthest away, because it's Gringott's oldest vault," Griphook apologized, before he motioned Harry to hold his finger against a small nail at the door to the vault.

Harry gasped at the short but sharp pain that vanished immediately as soon as a drop of his blood had hit the door, which opened, recognizing Harry as its rightful owner.

"Harry, take your time; I'm going to wait here," Lupin said gently, causing Harry to throw him a confused look.

"Why, Professor? Please come in. You already know everything about me," Harry replied softly.

"This is really huge," the teacher said in amazement. "I once entered your father's vault, and it was big, but yours is at least four times as large, because you have the vault that the founders left for you, which has gained a lot of interest over the last thousand years."

'_Maybe I should come and look through all the things in here alone when I've lots of time_,' Harry mused. "Well, today, I only need a bit of money to spend in Hogsmeade and to buy my school books next summer," he said aloud.

Griphook waved him over and handed Harry a small bag. "If you fill that, you'll definitely have enough," Remus advised him patiently. "But look, there is a letter addressed to you, and if I'm not wrong, it's in your mother's hand writing."

Harry curiously eyed the envelope and finally put it into his robe pocket, before he filled the small bag with all the three sorts of coins and stated, "All right, Professor, I'm ready. Sometime, I'll have to return here and spend the day looking around."

"That's right, Harry," Lupin smirked, and they mounted the wagon for the long ride back to the surface.

"Thanks a lot, sir, for accompanying me here," Harry said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Harry. That's the least I can do for you. Do you need to go anywhere else, or do you want to return to Hogwarts?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Could we perhaps sit somewhere? I'd like to read my mother's letter," he asked hesitantly.

"Let's go to Fortescue's ice cream parlour," Remus suggested, and Harry agreed immediately.

While he absentmindedly devoured a huge ice cream, he took his mother's letter out of the envelope.

'_Dear Harry_,' it said,  
'_If you read this, it means that Dad and I are both dead, because Dad's friend Peter, who is our Secret Keeper, was a traitor and sold us to Voldemort.  
__I want you to know that you have godparents, legal ones and illegal ones, in case you need someone. Your legal godparents are my second best friend Alice Longbottom and Dad's best friend Sirius Black, and your illegal godparents are my best friends Remus Lupin and Severus Snape_.'

At this stage, Harry gasped and nearly choked on his ice cream. '_Snape? My Mum's best friend?_'

He had such a horrified look on his face that Lupin asked worriedly, "Is everything all right, Harry?"

Harry threw him an absentminded glance. "Yes, I'll let you read the letter in a minute."

'_I couldn't make Remus your legal godfather, because he is a werewolf. I'm working at St. Mungo's and since I'm not bad at Potions I'm trying to find a cure for him, but if you read this I probably died too early to achieve that goal. Severus isn't available, because he is spying on the dark side for us. Nevertheless, I'm sure both of my very best friends will be there for you, if you need them. Don't let anyone take you to my sister Petunia. She is horrible, and I've given up on trying to change her prejudices. She hates magic and she'll hate you as she always hated me because I was magical.  
__I wish you a happy life, my sweetie, and please know that I love you more than anything else in the world.  
__Love always,  
__Your mother Lily_.'

Harry handed the letter to the teacher. "Please read; you're mentioned too," he said on Remus' surprised look.

"Peter the Secret Keeper?" Lupin blurted out. "Harry, that means that Sirius is innocent! Harry, would you mind if I showed this letter to Dumbledore? We have to do something for Sirius!"

Harry grinned inwardly at the teacher's excitement. "I'm fine with anything if it helps," he replied and followed the professor back into the alley.

"Then let's head back," Lupin said and grabbed Harry's arm to apparate back to Hogsmeade.

'_I could have flashed us_,' Harry mused when he walked up to the castle next to a very absentminded professor.

All of a sudden, it became dark as night and as cold as a winter's day and they found themselves surrounded by Dementors. Harry, who didn't have any experience with Dementors so far, suddenly heard a woman's voice scream, before everything turned black before his eyes.

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	26. Sirius and Snape

**26 – Sirius and Snape**

When Harry's mind slowly returned to consciousness he found himself in the hospital wing, and he recognized the voices of Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.

"What happened?" he asked in confusion.

"You were attacked by a Dementor, Harry," McGonagall explained softly, brushing his hair out of his eyes, while Pomfrey stuck a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

"Eat," she commanded, pointing to the largest bar of chocolate that Harry had ever seen. "When you've eaten up all of it you may leave and not a second earlier."

"Professor Lupin?" Harry asked hesitantly. "I mean... Is he all right?"

"Yes, he is all right. He had something urgent to speak to the Headmaster about; therefore he called me here," Minerva replied gently. "Was everything all right at Gringotts, Harry?"

"Yes, but I found a letter from my biological mother, and Professor Lupin said something about Sirius being innocent and that we had to help him. That's probably why he went to see Dumbledore."

Seeing that the professor threw him a strange look, he sighed. "Well, there was something about Peter being their Secret Keeper and a traitor if they were dead, and about Lupin and Snape being my unofficial godfathers."

McGonagall smiled at the child, whom she had known since he was a baby. "If that's true, and it has to be, because your mother would know who their Secret Keeper was, it means that Sirius Black spent twelve years in prison in spite of being innocent. Concerning Professor Snape, he was your mother's best friend, Harry, and I'm sure that you'd get along well, if you only knew each other a bit better. Maybe you should take him to your parents for a while, if you have the opportunity."

"I'll do that some time," Harry promised, pushing the rest of the chocolate away. "Let's leave here, Professor."

Minerva let out a snort. "You don't expect me to help you flee from Madam Pomfrey. I'm sorry, but you'll have to eat all of it."

Harry was still struggling with the chocolate when Professor Lupin returned with the Headmaster in tow and told him, "Harry, I've sent an owl to Sirius and told him that we just learned of his innocence and that he should contact me here at Hogwarts. In case he approaches you, please bring him to me or to the Headmaster, if I'm not available for some reason."

ハリーと幸せの願い

It was only a day later that Sirius Black approached Remus, who was sitting near the Quidditch pitch reading a book to make it easy for his friend to find him. The two men talked the whole day, and in the evening Harry was called to the Headmaster's office, where Professors Lupin, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Sirius Black were assembled.

"Come in, Harry," the Headmaster greeted him in the same friendly manner that he always had, offering him a lemon drop, which to the professor's surprise, Harry accepted.

Sirius told his version of what had happened twelve years ago, and everyone carefully listened to his story.

"Sirius," the Headmaster replied finally, "that sounds all very convincing, but the problem is that nobody will believe you only with a letter as proof. Where is Pettigrew?"

"He is here at Hogwarts! He is the pet rat of Ronald Weasley, a third year Gryffindor," Sirius replied eagerly. "He is the reason why I escaped from Azkaban. I came to catch him in order to have my freedom once again."

"If he's a rat, I could ask Löwi to catch him for us," Harry offered.

"Who is Löwi?" Sirius asked curiously.

"My familiar," Harry replied shyly.

McGonagall sighed. "Löwi is a griffin. Recently, we have a small pride of griffins in the forest, and one of them is bonded to Harry. I think that's a good idea, Harry, but how will he get into Gryffindor tower?"

Harry smirked. "I'll ask him to work with Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. Löwi told me they're already friends."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Only two days later, Löwi returned to Harry with the rat in his mouth. Harry quickly threw a strong stunning spell at the rat and conjured a small cage, motioning Löwi to put the rat inside, so that they could take it to the Headmaster, who immediately contacted the Aurors and put everything in motion, so that Sirius Black would officially be cleared from everything the wizarding world assumed he had done.

Finally, Sirius received a proper trial and was officially cleared and compensated for the twelve years he had spent in Azkaban in spite of being innocent, all without ever being given a trial.

The evening of the trial, which Professors Dumbledore and Lupin had attended, Harry was called to the Headmaster's office once again.

When he entered the office, a much better and healthier looking Sirius stepped in front of him, pulling him into a bear hug.

"Thank you, Harry, for what you've done for me. I'll never forget it."

"I didn't do anything," Harry replied uncertainly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to help you sooner, but I'm glad that everything worked out properly."

"Harry, I don't know if they told you that I'm your godfather. I know that you're living with your relatives, but I just want you to know that if you ever want a godfather or a new home, I'll always be here for you. I'd love to spend the holidays with you, if you want."

Harry sighed. "Thanks a lot, Sirius," he finally replied. "I'd love having you as godfather, but I'm very happy at home, and I always return home during the holidays to the people, who raised me and who are like real parents to me."

Sirius gave him an astonished look. "Harry, don't tell such things. I know Petunia, and she's absolutely horrible. She hates magic, and I can't imagine that she is a loving mother to you."

Seeing Harry's uncomfortable expression, Professor McGonagall came to his aid. "I once visited Harry's family last year, and I can assure you that Harry has an extremely loving, caring family and is very happy at home."

"Sirius, look at your godson. Does he look unhappy?" Remus asked pointedly.

"No, not really," Sirius had to admit.

"If I'm unhappy then only because I always have to serve detention in the Potions classroom," Harry mumbled angrily.

"Again?" Remus asked horrified.

"Yep, but don't ask me why; he didn't tell me a reason. I helped Blaise with his potion a few days ago and Snape shouted at me then, but I don't know if that's the reason. Well, maybe he needs the company of a Potter for his well being."

Minerva sighed. "Harry, beginning next year you'll have detention with me every night, which you may serve either in your own room, or in Gryffindor tower, in the library, or in any of the other common rooms. Albus, please make note that."

"Thanks a lot, Professor," Harry replied gratefully.

"Harry, I'll speak with Professor Snape once more, but please try to get along with him," Dumbledore said gently.

Harry promised and he really tried, and the teacher tried as well and let him brew potions most of the time until they had their next fight only a week before the end of the school year.

ハリーと幸せの願い

On Sunday evening, Harry played Quidditch with two mixed teams made up of all four Quidditch teams. As usual he caught the Snitch, but the instant he closed his hand around the struggling ball he was hit by a Bludger. When he returned to his room, he brewed a strong headache potion, and went to bed; nevertheless, he still had a headache when classes resumed on Monday.

McGonagall watched him in concern and even offered to excuse him from his detention, but Harry didn't want to hear the Potions Master's nasty comments about his missed detention during the rest of the week and politely declined.

"Well, I want you to be back in your own room by curfew; otherwise, I'm going to send Löwi to fetch you," the Gryffindor Head of House threatened, threatened, noticing that he was very pale and looked outright ill when he looked at him in the eyes, and Harry half heartedly agreed.

That evening, the professor had a whole table full of dirty cauldrons saved for Harry to clean without magic, while Snape busied himself at the teacher's desk grading Potions tests.

'_He's so stupid_,' Harry mused. '_He could let me grade the tests and clean the cauldrons with magic, and he'd save a lot of time_.'

A small voice in the back of his mind spoke up, '_Well, he doesn't know that you've already taken your Potions NEWTs and have even begun a Potions apprenticeship with Salazar Slytherin_.'

'_Only four days of classes left and I can return home for the summer_,' Harry thought happily, while he absentmindedly scrubbed an extremely dirty cauldron.

Like Professor McGonagall had threatened she sent Löwi to fetch Harry when the boy didn't return to his room in time for curfew. Harry and the professor both were brought out of their reveries when Löwi jumped onto the handle to open the classroom door and dashed into the room.

Before Harry and Löwi even knew what happened, Snape drew his wand and sent an Expelliarmus spell at the griffin, causing it to be flung back right into a chair.

"What are you doing? Are you stupid?" Harry shouted at the professor, totally terrified when he noticed that Löwi had obviously hurt his front paw.

Unable to think properly, Harry took the yowling Löwi from the floor, grabbed the Potions Master's arm, and flashed away, thinking of his mother Helga in her office one thousand years back in the past.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Snape didn't know what happened when he suddenly found himself in an office that looked similar to Madam Pomfrey's together with a wounded griffin and his most hated student, who had collapsed to the ground in an unconscious state.

Before he could even get up from the floor, a lady entered the room, throwing him a strange look, before she hurried to Harry's side, shouting, "Leofost, what happened?"

Since Harry was in no condition to reply, Snape informed the unknown lady that Harry had grabbed him while in the Potions classroom and had apparated him away from Hogwarts, although that should definitely be impossible.

"Please excuse my curiosity, but who are you?" he finally asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman, who was waving her wand over Harry, muttering to herself just like Madam Pomfrey.

"I'm Helga Hufflepuff," the Healer replied, while she moved Harry onto a stretcher to place him on the nearest bed.

"Yes of course, and I'm Salazar Slytherin," Snape sneered.

"Well, that is certainly not true, considering that Salazar is my husband," Helga replied dryly, while she gently tucked Harry in and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Wake up, sweetie," she said softly, gently stroking his cheeks.

"Löwi, what's wrong with you?" she suddenly asked, noticing that the griffin remained on the same spot instead of climbing on Harry's bed.

Löwi only let out a small yowl.

"I hit the beast with an Expelliarmus spell, because it dashed into my Potions classroom, which is not a place for animals to play."

"Well, Löwi will certainly have had a reason. He never disturbs Harry if it isn't important," Helga replied icily, slowly getting angry at the unfriendly man. She waved her wand over the griffin, cast a Healing spell on his foot, and spelled a potion directly into Löwi's stomach, noticing that the griffin relaxed immediately.

"Löwi, your foot is healed, but please don't move too much tonight. Why don't you lie down on Harry's bed and rest?" she suggested, gently placing her son's familiar onto the bed.

"Was Harry hit with a spell too?" Helga asked, throwing the man a suspicious glance.

"No; he was merely cleaning cauldrons in the Potions classroom, and he apparated us here, wherever here is. Could it be that he has completely depleted his magic, considering that normally no one can apparate out of Hogwarts, let alone a thirteen-year-old along with an adult and a griffin?" Snape replied, raising an eyebrow.

Before Helga could reply, Salazar entered the hospital room, looking over to the occupied bed. "Who's that? Is that Thunderbolt?" he asked, terrified to see his oldest son unconscious.

Helga sighed. "This man hurt Löwi, and Harry obviously got upset and flashed all of them here; unfortunately, he forgot to transform into his phoenix form before flashing, so he has completely depleted his magic, and he has a concussion. It's probably the combination of both that sent him into a coma."

"Are you perhaps the famous Professor Snape, who has given our son detention every night?" Salazar growled.

"I am Severus Snape, and Potter has to serve detention, if he deserves it," Snape sneered. "I'd still like to know who you are and where we are. He can't be your son, since I knew James Potter better than I'd like to know him. Well, never mind. If you would show me the way out, then I'll be on my way."

"On your way where?" Salazar asked, smirking.

"To Hogwarts of course," Severus replied impatiently.

"I can show you the way out, no problem," Salazar sneered and motioned Snape to follow him, quickly leading a very confused Professor Snape out of the castle. "If you change your mind, just ask for Salazar Slytherin," he said in a relatively gentle voice, before he made his way back to the hospital room, leaving Snape in front of the entrance doors.

"Don't tell me you left the man outside all on his own?" Helga asked quietly, shaking her head.

"Well, it's warm outside, and it's the night of the full moon, so it won't be too dark, and I don't think we have any werewolves around," Salazar replied when he joined Helga at Harry's bedside.

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	27. Back to Being a Student

**27 – Back to Being a Student**

Snape looked around and recognized the well known and familiar Hogwarts grounds, realizing, '_I definitely am at Hogwarts. The halls the man led me through were the Hogwarts halls, even if most of the pictures were missing. Am I in a dream? The boy can't have taken me to the future or to the past now, can he?_' he mused, shivering slightly in his normal teaching robes.

He carefully tried to open the doors, infinitely relieved when they opened easily. All of a sudden, realization struck him. '_We must be a thousand years in the past. Maybe the people told the truth when they claimed to be Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. That would explain their strange clothing. Potter said something about Slytherin brewing a potion for him before and he had that book written by Slytherin. They treat him like a son, so he must come here often. Ah, and that's why he is so good at Potions. No wonder, being taught by Salazar Slytherin, the best Potions Master ever_.'

Deep in thoughts, Severus slowly returned to the hospital wing, no, it was only a hospital room at that time, glad to find the two people still there with Potter. '_I need the boy to return me to our time_,' the truth hit him full force, making him groan in horror of actually needing a Potter to help him.

"Oh, are you back?" Helga greeted him, motioning him over. "That's good; it's not too pleasant spending the night outside. At least here you're safe."

"Can Potter apparate to the past?" Severus blurted out.

"Yes, he's a sand phoenix and can flash through the sands of time, but he is the only one, so you better behave around Harry, if you want him to take you back sometime soon," Salazar sneered. "In the meantime, I might as well teach you some manners."

"It'll be at least three weeks, before I can allow him to flash anywhere," Helga threw in, gently stroking Harry's flushed cheeks, "so you might as well stay over the summer holidays."

"They haven't started yet. I have to teach tomorrow morning. Potter has to take me back now!" Severus tried to keep his tone as harmless as he could even if through gritted teeth.

"I'd rather take you to the ice age and leave you there," Harry mumbled, causing his parents to give him a piercing look.

"Is he awake?" Salazar asked in concern.

"No." Helga shook her head. "But he's not unconscious anymore. He's asleep. Salazar, can you carefully take Harry to his own room, so that we can introduce Mr. Snape to Godric and Rowena?"

"Of course," Salazar agreed, gently scooping the child in his arms.

On their way back to their quarters, they met a group of Ravenclaw students, and Severus already had his mouth opened to hiss at them like he was used to doing when Salazar beat him to it and growled, "What are you doing in the halls after curfew? Five points each from Ravenclaw."

The group hurried back in the direction of their House common room except for one girl with curly brown hair. "Sorry Professor, but is that Harry?" she asked worriedly, pointing to the child in the professor's arms.

"Yes dear, Harry came home, because he has a concussion," Helga explained gently, knowing that the girl was very fond of her son.

"May I see him tomorrow?" Godiva asked pleadingly, ignoring the menacing look she received from Snape.

"Yes, you may. Ask Professor Ravenclaw after breakfast, and she'll bring you to him, but now it's time to go to bed," Helga replied in a soft voice, causing the girl to thank her profusely, before she hurried away.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry woke up in the morning and lazily opened his eyes. When he managed to get them to cooperate with him he was looking straight into Godiva's warm brown eyes, which he'd be able to recognize anywhere. He immediately tried to sit up, panicking because she saw him lying in bed, but the girl gently pushed him back down.

"Harry, Professor Hufflepuff said you shouldn't move, so please stay put; otherwise they won't allow me to visit you again," she said in her soft voice, smiling down at him.

'_She's so beautiful_,' Harry mused, and when she began to softly stroke his flushed cheeks, he suddenly felt the urge to tell her the truth about himself.

"Godiva," he began hesitantly, "I'd like to tell you something. Can you promise me to keep my secret to yourself?"

"I promise," she replied softly, giving him an expectant look.

"I'm a sand phoenix," Harry slowly explained. "You know what a phoenix is, don't you?"

"Yes, like Fawkes, Professor Gryffindor's phoenix, right?"

"Exactly, and my Animagus form is a sand phoenix. A sand phoenix can flash through the sands of time." Seeing that she was listening interestingly, he continued, "I was born in the year 1980."

"980?" she asked in confusion.

"No." Harry lightly shook his head, wincing inwardly, because the small movement hurt. "1980. When I was two years old, I flashed myself exactly one thousand years into the past with accidental magic. At that time, I was living with horrid relatives, and I wished for someone to love me. Well, I arrived here, and since then I grew up here with Professors Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor, who raised me as their own son."

Godiva looked stunned. "And why don't you attend Hogwarts along with us?" she asked, slightly confused.

"When I turned eleven, I had to return to the future to attend Hogwarts in the future, but as you know I always come home during the holidays or sometimes even at other times."

"You're miraculous," Godiva said, completely amazed by Harry's story. "You're a week early this time though."

Harry laughed, but his smile faltered quickly. "I have an absolute horrid Potions professor. Can you imagine that he made me serve detention every evening since the beginning of my first year? Anyway, I was in detention, as usual, when my griffin familiar, Löwi, dashed into the room with a message from another teacher, and the greasy git stunned him, causing him to hurt his paw. Seeing that, I became so angry that I flashed all of us here, so that Dad Salazar could teach my professor, who is the Head of Slytherin in the future, a lesson like he already promised several times. Do you know by chance if my griffin is all right?"

"He is, Harry. Look, he's asleep next to your feet," Godiva chuckled. "So you brought your professor here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Harry replied in a small voice. "I don't think he'll be very pleased to meet my father. Dad Salazar is very angry at him because of the detentions." '_I just hope she'll still be my friend after all that I've told her_,' he mused wearily.

"If you can flash people through time, could you take me with you to the future some time?" Godiva asked hesitantly, and Harry felt himself getting very excited.

"Of course I can take you with me. I'd love to take you with me," Harry replied softly.

All of a sudden Helga's voice penetrated the children's ears, "Leofost, you're awake!"

"Hi Mum," Harry said, smiling.

"How dare you flash with such a concussion, never mind flashing an adult plus your griffin without even transforming into your phoenix form first?" Helga asked in an extremely upset voice, causing Harry to cringe.

"Concussion? I've no idea what you're speaking about, Mum, but Snape hurt Löwi and I was very angry at him plus I wanted you to heal Löwi, so I just brought them here like Dad Salazar always told me."

"Well, we'll talk about this again when you're feeling better," Helga replied, running a diagnostic spell at Harry, before she spelled two potions into his stomach, causing him to drift off to sleep within seconds.

"He'll be asleep for at least two hours," she gently told the girl, who was smiling at her son with huge, brown eyes.

"He told me everything about himself," Godiva said softly. "May I stay with him? I brought my books, so that I can do my homework, while he's asleep."

"You may," Helga agreed, glad that Harry seemed to have taken a liking to a girl, whom she approved greatly.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry woke up to loud voices next to his bed. He lazily opened his eyes and saw Godiva still sitting on the edge of his bed, while Snape stood in front of her.

"He's ill and he's asleep. You can't speak with him right now, sir," Godiva just told firmly told Snape without showing any signs of backing down, which caused Harry to grin inwardly. '_That's right; tell the greasy git off_,' he thought. '_What is he doing in my room anyway?_'

"No, he's awake," Snape sneered, stepping nearer to Harry's bed. "Potter, how dare you flash me away from my classroom without my consent?" he barked, not noticing that Godiva whispered something to Löwi.

"How dare you hurt my familiar?" Harry asked back just when Helga silently entered the room after Löwi to witness the conversation. "Professor McGonagall sent him to fetch me, because she knew that I wasn't feeling well and thought that I should return to my room by curfew. She won't be very pleased, if I tell her that you hexed my griffin."

"Don't try to make me believe that you attended detention in spite of being sick," Snape sneered unbelievingly.

"I had a splitting headache, and Professor McGonagall noticed that and offered to excuse me from detention, but I didn't want that because I knew that you would ridicule me about it for the rest of the week," Harry gave back snappishly.

"Mr. Snape, Harry is not allowed to have visitors yet," Helga threw in icily. "Please leave immediately."

"The girl was already here when I came," Snape replied, pointing to Godiva.

"Ms. O'Connor is my Healer's apprentice and as such I asked her to remain with Harry and look after him," Helga replied in the same voice that would have made Harry shiver if it had been directed at him.

"Very well," Snape said indifferently and left the room.

ハリーと幸せの願い

'_Slytherin told me I could come to the Potions classroom and said according to Potter it would be at the same place where it was in the future_,' Severus remembered and decided to pay the founder a visit to find out what he was going to do during the next three weeks.

Salazar was just busying himself brewing a potion for his wife when Snape entered the room. Glancing over to his visitor he stated, "As you're here you might as well prepare the ingredients for me. The next ingredient that I need is two basilisk eggs cut into fine slices." He pointed to a work space right next to him.

"Basilisk eggs?" Snape gasped, looking amazed at the ingredients on the table.

"What's wrong with basilisk eggs?" Salazar enquired while he slowly stirred counter clockwise, counting to fifty.

"Well, in our time basilisk eggs are extremely rare and any Potions Master would kill to get one of these eggs into their hands."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "You just have to ask Harry nicely, if you need any. He can get them for you. He is a very good friend of my basilisk Amaterasu and often visits her. She doesn't mind laying an egg for him."

Seeing that Snape carefully hid his amazement behind a blank mask, he continued, "Harry told me that you're the youngest Potions Master our country has ever seen and he seems to think highly of you in that area. What I can't understand is why you let him scrub cauldrons in his detentions instead of asking him to teach you Potions he knows from this time that is now considered lost in your time. Can you enlighten me?"

Snape nearly choked in surprise. "Why would a Potions Master ask a thirteen-year-old to teach him Potions?" he asked incredulously.

Salazar chuckled. "Perhaps because you know that he is able to brew the wolfscure potion perfectly or that he owns a book containing my potions recipes that might possibly contain numerous recipes that may be lost in your time?"

"Our relationship was never good," Snape replied hesitantly. "He wasn't even willing to work together with me in order to revive the wolfscure potion to heal the werewolves in our time."

"Which is not Harry's fault," Salazar added menacingly. "He just didn't work alongside an idiot like you because you apparently hate him for some reason, which he can't understand. Nevertheless, he attends your class in order to learn from you, although all he had to do was to speak with the Headmaster to be freed from Potions class."

"All students are required to attend Potions at least until they have completed their OWLs," Snape disagreed.

"Harry took all of his OWLs here in our time four years ago," Salazar sneered and enjoying his guest's flabbergasted face continued, "and he took his Potions NEWTs last summer. Godric, who spent three months with Harry in the future as his phoenix told me that you chastise Harry as an arrogant, attention seeking brat, but the facts don't match your description, do they?"

"I didn't know," Snape replied tonelessly. "I always wondered why he was so good at Potions."

"He is studying for the Potions Mastery, but due to the lost time due to your detentions he has lost valuable time that is needed in order to study for it," Salazar said, and his expression turned angry. "Fortunately, Professor McGonagall has agreed to give him detention, which he may use to study for the Potions Mastery, during the next school year, at least that's what she promised when she spent Christmas with us last year."

"Professor, would you be willing to teach me while I'm here?" Snape asked hesitantly, causing Salazar to let out a sigh.

"My highest priority is to teach Harry in order to prepare him for the Mastery, but I don't think he'll mind if you join us, provided that the two of you manage to get along. Godric will certainly agree to teach you other things, which are taught in our time, as well."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the week prior to the holidays beginning, Severus sat in Salazar's class, interestingly watching how Potions was taught in the past. He even joined the students in their assignments, glad to be able to brew potions again. '_It's strange to be a student again, but it's really interesting. There are several things, which they do that is much easier than how I learned it_,' he mused.

Harry spent as much time with Godiva as he could. After two more days of bed rest, during which Godiva joined him every free moment she had, Helga grudgingly allowed him out of bed, provided that he wouldn't do any magic including flying, flashing, or transforming. Therefore, Harry decided to attend classes along with Godiva in order to use the scarce time they had to get to know each other better. Since he still felt exhausted, Harry and Godiva spent all the time out of classes in Harry's room, where Helga still didn't allow any other visitors, and in the evenings, Harry was too tired to join his parents in their quarters, so that to Harry's great relief Snape didn't have a chance to speak with him.

On Saturday, the students left for the summer holidays, and Harry was very sad at the thought that he wouldn't be able to see Godiva for a few months. Unbeknownst to Harry, Helga had agreed with Godiva's parents that the girl could spent the first half of August at Hogwarts for a Healing course, so that she could see if she was really interested enough to begin her apprenticeship after taking her OWLs in two years.

After the students had left, Salazar asked Harry to join him in his office to discuss the schedule for his summer holidays.

"I suggest that you study on your own for two hours after breakfast. After that I'll teach you a few theoretical things, and in the afternoon you're going to brew potions or assist me," Salazar suggested, and Harry agreed immediately.

"All right, Dad Salazar, can we begin immediately?" Harry asked eagerly.

"No Harry, I'm sorry. Mum wants you to rest or play with your siblings over the weekend. She said beginning Monday you would be allowed to study and use simple magic if necessary, but not before. By the way," he said in a stern voice, "Mr. Snape will join us during our afternoon sessions, and I'd like to ask you to get along with him."

"No!" Harry shouted horrified. "No Dad, then I'm going to flash him back to the future before Monday. I don't care if Mum won't like it."

_

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tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind words for the last chapter! Even if I wasn't able to reply to each of your reviews, because I preferred to use the time for writing ahead, I appreciate your kind comments very much (Therefore the fast update!)! What do you think: Was Salazar too lenient with Snape?_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing!_

_All recognizable characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	28. Summer Holidays with Snape

**28 – Summer Holidays with Snape**

Salazar pulled his wand and reached out to use it lifting Harry's chin, so that he looked him straight into the onyx eyes.

"Harry James Potter! You will do as your mother says, and if she tells you that you mustn't flash for three weeks, you won't flash for three weeks, especially not with a passenger. Is that understood, Thunderbolt?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied in a small voice, "but..."

"No buts. Believe me, Thunderbolt, Snape will behave in my presence."

'_Why did I listen to him and bring the greasy git here? Now I'm stuck with him through my holidays_,' Harry mused and stomped off, feeling completely annoyed with himself and the whole world.

Before Harry knew where he was going, he was on the stairs to the Chamber of Secrets to visit Amaterasu.

"What'sss wrong, my friend?" the basilisk hissed, noticing that Harry was not his usual cheerful self.

Harry quickly told his friend what was wrong, before he sat down on the floor and curled up, leaning his back against the basilisk, where he slowly drifted off to sleep.

His parents were angry when he missed lunch, but their anger turned into concern when he didn't show up for dinner either. Since nobody had seen the child since that morning, nor did they have any idea where he could have gone, Godric finally transformed into his phoenix form in order to flash himself to his oldest son, finding him fast asleep on top of the basilisk, who had raised him from the cold stone floor to rest on her own curled up form to help him stay warm.

Godric roused a very sleepy Harry and brought him to the Great Hall, where everyone was still waiting at the dinner table.

Helga and Rowena forced the boy to eat a bit, while Godric explained where he had found him.

"Potter, may I speak to you in private for a few minutes?" Snape asked when Harry finished his dinner, causing Harry to throw him an appraising look.

"Yes," he replied wearily, groaning inwardly.

Before he knew what happened to him, he felt himself being reprimanded by his father. "It's 'Yes, sir,' Thunderbolt," Salazar said sternly, throwing the boy a menacing glare that clearly said, 'Behave yourself, young man.'

"Yes sir, sorry sir," Harry replied automatically, yawning. Seeing that everyone rose from their seats, he slowly stood up and led the professor into his own room, where he let himself sink into the chair next to his desk, motioning Snape to take a seat opposite him as well.

"I'm sorry, Potter, for my behaviour towards you in the past," Snape spoke up completely unexpectedly, causing Harry to open his eyes wide in surprise.

"It's all right, sir," he mumbled in a hardly audible voice. "I'm sorry for bringing you here without forewarning you what was happening."

Snape sighed. "Well, it would have been easier if you had just let Professor McGonagall excuse you. I made a mistake by misjudging you for your birth father without noticing that you're in fact completely different from him. Anyway, I'd like to start again from the beginning. As long as we're here in the past, I'm going to be a student, so you may call me Severus. When we're back in the future, I'll go back to being your professor of course."

"All right," Harry agreed. "Truce then?" He slowly extended his hand to the man, who shook it slightly and agreed, "All right, Harry. Now I believe it's time for you to go to bed."

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next two weeks, Harry didn't have any problems with Snape. He studied according to the plan Salazar had made for him, while Snape had lessons with Godric and Rowena in the morning and joined Harry and Salazar in the Potions classroom in the afternoon.

On Friday afternoon when Salazar left Harry and Severus alone for a few minutes in order to run an errand for Helga, Harry motioned Severus over to where he was brewing a potion. "Just to let you know, sir, I'm going to flash into the future tomorrow to finish the last week of the school year. I need to get my book list and the books for the next school year as well as my summer assignments, so that I'll be able to do them. Nobody will know, because I intend to arrive back here at the same time tomorrow morning. I just wondered if you'd like to come? I'm going to flash back to the Potions classroom a few minutes after we left."

"Yes please," Severus replied immediately, before he gave Harry a piercing look. "Why don't you tell your parents? Aren't you allowed to flash yet?"

"Well, Mum said three weeks, and it's nearly three weeks, but if they knew, they'd worry unnecessarily. Can you come to my room at five tomorrow morning? Then I have a bit of leeway to flash us back between five and seven, before anyone notices that we're missing. We have to take Löwi back with us too."

They arrived back in the future half an hour later than they had left three weeks ago, just as a slightly upset Professor McGonagall entered the Potions classroom to fetch Harry.

Harry quickly filled her in about what had happened, causing her to throw her colleague an amused glance, who was at that moment magically cleaning the remaining cauldrons from Harry's detention. '_Over the last two weeks, Snape behaved really civically_,' Harry mused on the way back to his own room. '_I'll just hope that it'll continue while we're here_.'

During Harry's last three detentions before the Leaving feast, to which Dumbledore insisted that both Harry and Snape attended, Snape let him brew difficult potions and even explained about their background, their effects, and possible difficulties while adding the ingredients, before he let Harry brew the potions.

'_I'm amazed, he's really teaching me something_,' Harry mused in surprise, listening with rapt attention to his teacher's explanations. Only when they were back in the past a few days later, Harry realized that these potions were part of his training program and that Severus had obviously asked Salazar what he should let Harry brew. '_Snape really has improved greatly since going to the past with me_,' Harry mused while he concentrated on his summer assignments.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Two weeks later, he had finished all of his homework and proceeded to reading books from the library during the two hours after breakfast each morning. However, it was getting difficult for him to study either in his own room or in the library, because his five siblings, who were between the ages of two and seven, would find him, wanting him to play with them.

When he once complained to his parents at lunchtime, Helga told him in a stern voice, "Leofost, I want you to go out onto the grounds and play instead of studying even more during your free time. You could take the children and play ball or even fly with them, provided that you have an eye on the little ones. I don't want them to get hurt as much as you hurt yourself when you were their age."

Harry grudgingly agreed and proceeded to play with his little brothers and sisters every morning until the beginning of his lesson with his father Salazar.

One day, Snape invited the whole group to come with him horse riding. After confirming with Rowena that everyone except for two-year-old Niamh, Harry's youngest sister, was allowed to ride a pony, Harry agreed, looking at the Potions Master in surprise when he offered to take Niamh with him on his horse. They all had a lot of fun on this beautiful summer morning, enjoying their ride over the vast land that surrounded Hogwarts immensely. Two hours later, everyone was groggily sitting beside the lake having a small picnic.

Her mouth still full of fruit cake, seven-year-old Lily queried, "Harry, I'd love to prank our parents. You know, Dad and Uncle Salazar sometimes prank Mum and Aunt Helga. Do you have an idea, how we could prank them all?"

Harry laughed, remembering the prank war he had fought with his Daddies against his Mummies when he had been about Lily's age. "Hmmm, that's difficult," he said pensively. "Mum is extremely good at Transfiguration, so we could only use a potion, which they won't be able to counter immediately." All of a sudden he remembered they were in the presence of Snape and thought, 'Can't she bring up such a delicate topic without my professor being there?'

"How about brewing a potion, which turns your parents' hair a different colour like green or blue?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow at Lily.

"Yes!" all of the children chorused at the teacher's suggestion, and Lily threw Harry a pleading look, "Oh yes please, Harry. Can you brew such a potion for us?"

"I'll brew the potion for you. I believe I still have to get back at Professor Slytherin for at least two pranks he played me," Snape threw in, glancing at Harry.

"I'll assist," Harry promised, smirking. "But we'll have to do it at night, since Dad spends the whole day in the Potions lab or in the classroom, and you never know when he will come into another room that we may use to brew it."

Harry and Severus agreed to meet in the Potions classroom at four o'clock in the morning, and a few hours later, the four Founders were sitting at the breakfast table with their hair dyed in their House colours.

"Thunderbolt!" Salazar came to the conclusion, after confirming with his yellow-haired wife that his hair was indeed a luminous green, that Harry was behind the prank.

"Dad?" Harry asked innocently. "Is that a new fashion you're wearing this morning?"

Salazar threw a suspicious glance at Snape, who had put up a blank expression and busied himself with his breakfast, apparently ignoring the conversation completely.

"Harry, you should take one of the house elves to the future some time, so that he can teach our house elves how to prepare such a delicious breakfast," he smirked.

"That's a good idea," Harry agreed immediately. "Dad Godric, may I do that?"

"Only if the future house elves teach our house elf how they cook in the future," the Headmaster growled. "Leo, I want an antidote now!"

"An antidote?" Harry chuckled, "for what?" Snape and he had agreed not to admit to anything and to let the colours wear off by themselves, which would take a few days. Unfortunately, as soon as the two mischief makers stood up after breakfast, they suddenly transformed into baboons, throwing horrified looks at each other, before they turned around to the Head table, seeing Godric and Rowena smirk.

'_Well, let's have some fun then_,' Harry decided and began to run around the Head table, causing his siblings to laugh and Severus to playfully run after him, chasing him around the Great Hall for a few minutes.

'_Wait what we're going to do next_,' Harry mused and transformed into his phoenix form and back into his human form, causing Rowena to throw him a proud look.

Snape followed Harry's example and changed into a chameleon, before turning back into his human form, throwing the two Founders a menacing glare.

"That's a beautiful Animagus form," Harry said in complete amazement. "I love chameleons."

ハリーと幸せの願い

One morning, Harry sleepily walked down to the Great Hall, stopping dead in his tracks when he opened the doors. The whole room was transformed into a huge playground, and his brothers and sisters were already playing happily, while the teachers were sitting at the Head table having tea.

"Ah Thunderbolt, it's about time you got your lazybones out of bed," Salazar called him over, causing Harry to pout.

"Maybe someone should have woken me up," he complained in a slightly upset voice. "It wasn't my choice to brew potions until midnight."

"It was your choice. I offered to brew the potion," Snape reminded him, and Harry threw him a glare.

'_Of course I wanted to brew the potion for my little brother_,' he thought angrily, remembering how shocked his parents were the night before, when they found out that Brian had come down with the wizard's flu, an illness often fatal, for which they didn't have a potion in their time. Harry had immediately begun to brew the future's flu potion, instructing his father how to assist him.

"Is Brian all right?" he queried, glancing at his mother, when he all of a sudden spotted an unexpected face between Helga and his empty seat. "Godiva!" he blurted out in surprise.

"Hello Harry. Happy Birthday," the girl replied, and Harry felt the warmth of her brown eyes spread over his whole body.

"Birthday?" he mused aloud. "Oh my, the holidays are passing much too quickly."

"Brian is fine, Leofost, thanks to you. He's still asleep, but Severus told me he'd be up and about after the next dose of the potion," Helga replied, before she rose from her seat and stepped over to Harry, pulling him into a bear hug. "Happy Birthday, Leofost."

"Thank you," Harry said, blushing, and quickly sat down next to Godiva to spare himself other embraces in front of the girl.

To Harry's chagrin, the next four weeks of the summer holiday passed even faster, especially as he enjoyed having Godiva at the castle. During the day while he studied with his father, Godiva attend her Healing lessons with his mother, but in the evenings, they spent much of their time walking around the lake and having tea later on with Harry's parents and Snape. Godiva even helped Harry put his younger siblings to bed and read bedtime stories to them every night.

Two weeks following Harry's birthday Godiva was enjoying her Healing lessons very much, and after Harry had spent one day in the hospital room with the wizard's flu that Brian had spread to the rest of his siblings, he knew that she was not only enjoying herself but that she was extremely talented as well. She was very gentle and could make him feel better with nothing more than a smile from her warm eyes and the soft, cool touch of her hands on his face.

As soon as his mother let him out of bed, Harry went to Godric's office. "Dad, I need your help," he said hesitantly. "I want to ask Godiva to be my girlfriend."

"A very good choice, Leo," his father replied, beaming with joy.

Harry sighed. "Thank you, Dad. However, I'd like to give her something that reminds her of me while I'm away, maybe kind of a friendship ring or such. Can you help me to make something?"

"We could make a small golden ring with an engraved phoenix on it," Godric suggested, causing a huge smile to spread across his oldest son's face.

Godric helped Harry to make a ring, which was small but absolutely beautiful, at least in Harry's opinion. Now he just had to ask the girl, which seemed to be the most difficult part. Over the next two weeks, he pondered how to address her, in spite of being scolded by Salazar and Severus to concentrate on his brewing in order not to get badly injured several times.

Finally, when they were walking around the lake in the evening before he was to return to the future, he summoned all his courage and turned around to face her.

"Godiva, I know that it's difficult, because I'm away over most of the school year, but I'd like to ask you to be my girlfriend," he told her in a small voice, pulling a wrapped blueberry drop out of his robe pocket, handing it over to the girl.

_

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tbc…

Thank you for the many kind words I received for the last chapter! Well, the more reviews the higher is the motivation to write on fast - that's why I can update so quickly. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too and wish you a very merry Christmas!

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	29. The Truth

**29 – The Truth**

When Harry slowly turned his eyes to the girl, he saw that a huge smile spread over Godiva's face. "I'd love to become your girlfriend, Harry," she replied gently, looking curiously at the blueberry drop.

"Um... You have to lick it... um... carefully," Harry whispered, blushing deeply, before he gently laid his arm around her back, pulling her close.

Godiva curiously put the drop into her mouth, sucking on it for ten minutes, before her face took on a surprised expression and she pulled Harry's ring out of her mouth, wiping it with the handkerchief that Harry handed her.

She breathed in delight, looking at the ring in awe, "This is absolutely beautiful."

"Let me put it on you so you can make sure it fits," Harry encouraged her, gently taking the ring from her to slide it over her ring finger, which was indeed a perfect fit.

"Thank you, Harry," Godiva whispered happily, placing a kiss on Harry's cheek.

"Thank you for becoming my girlfriend," Harry replied, and his eyes began to twinkle happily as he kissed her back.

The two fourteen-year-old remained outside until they suddenly noticed that it was becoming dark and hurried back into the castle, where Godiva proudly showed off her beautiful ring to Harry's parents.

The four Founders were very happy that their oldest son had found such a lovely girlfriend, and when Helga tucked Harry in later in the evening, she told him upon seeing the look he was giving her, "No, Leofost, you aren't too old to be tucked in, but what I wanted to say is that I'm very happy for you. Godiva is an extremely fine young lady, and I couldn't have wished for a nicer girlfriend for my oldest."

"Mum, do you by chance know when her birthday is?" Harry queried.

"I'll find out for you tomorrow, Leofost," Helga replied softly, before she left the room.

In the morning, Helga handed Harry a small parchment with a date, 'Godiva's birthday is on May 25th, 980.'

"Mum, I'll try to flash here on that date," Harry said happily, carefully pocketing the parchment.

After breakfast, Harry spent two hours with Godiva, before he had to return to his room in order to flash back to the future.

"I guess you'd prefer to be back on the evening before the Welcoming feast, is that correct, sir?" he asked Snape, who was already waiting in Harry's room along with his parents and siblings.

"As early as possible please, Harry. I have to prepare the time tables for the whole Slytherin House for the new school year," Snape replied thoughtfully.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Harry offered, giving the teacher a questioning look.

"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate some help."

"No problem. I've nothing urgent to do until the Sorting anyway," Harry replied, before he proceeded to hug each of his siblings and parents. "I'll see you at Christmas, if not earlier," he told everyone, before he transformed into his phoenix form, turning his back to Snape, so that he could grab his tail feathers.

ハリーと幸せの願い

"It's August 31st, ten o'clock in the morning, sir," Harry announced after transforming back into his human form and glancing at the clock on his desk. "I'm sorry, Professor, for flashing into my room, but Professor Dumbledore mustn't know that I'm already at Hogwarts."

"I see," Snape smirked, while his expression became thoughtful. "In that case, I'll have to come here to draw on your kind offer to help with the time tables. In my office or even my private quarters, there is always a chance that the Headmaster will intrude.

"I'm afraid that would be the best, sir. If I'm not here in my room, I might be in my Dad's lab. Do you know how to get there?"

Snape gave him a short nod. "I know the way, but I believe that you should rest for a while before brewing anything. You look exhausted, and it is extremely dangerous to brew potions in such a condition, especially if you're all on your own."

"Yes, I know, and I'm going to take a nap first," Harry replied, yawning. He went to the portrait guarding his door. "Please let Professor Snape in at any time just like Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey."

"Thank you, Harry. I'll be back after you have had a few hours rest," Snape said and headed down to the dungeons. When he returned to Harry's room, a huge pile of parchments in his arms, Harry was indeed in Salazar's lab brewing what Severus recognized as a normal headache potion.

He threw Harry a questioning look, raising an eyebrow, before he set to assist the boy to prepare the remaining ingredients.

"I always get a headache after flashing over such a distance," Harry replied shortly, concentrating on proficiently stirring his potion twelve and a half times counter clockwise.

"Why don't you go to Madam Pomfrey or come to me to get a potion?" the professor asked incredulously.

"It's easier just to brew a batch myself," Harry replied absentmindedly. "I always brew potions here when I need something, so that I don't have to bother anyone."

Snape sighed in exasperation. "Harry, does anyone know what you're doing here?"

Harry frowned, while he put the potion aside and turned around to fetch a batch of small phials from the shelf, labelling them with a wave of his wand, before he bottled the potion. "Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey know. They don't like it, but they believe me that I know what I'm doing, and Madam Pomfrey gave me that parchment." He pointed to a parchment on a shelf containing several potions phials, which were all properly labelled with a date and the respective name. "Every time I take a potion, she wants me to write it down here, so that she can be sure I don't take too many potions."

The Potions Master looked around the laboratory that was as well organized as his own. '_Absolutely brilliant for a fourteen-year-old_,' he mused in amazement. '_Salazar must have taught him well_.'

"All right, Professor," Harry sighed. "I'm sorry for the delay. Shall we begin with your time tables?"

"Yes please," Severus replied and turned to the door, noticing from the corner of his eye that Harry quickly took a sip from a phial with the freshly brewed potion and scribbled something on the parchment, before he followed him, taking the phial with him.

Harry and the professor spent the rest of day at Harry's desk, engrossing themselves with the Slytherin time tables, until Professor McGonagall entered the room, scolding Severus for missing dinner in the Great Hall and scolding Harry for not eating lunch. Finally, she called a house elf to bring dinner for the two. Harry and Severus exchanged an amused look when the Gryffindor Head of House ordered tea for herself in order to make sure that they would eat properly.

While they were eating, McGonagall questioned them about their time in the past together. Harry had the impression the teacher would love to visit his parents again.

"Professor, why don't you accompany me to the past again over Christmas?" he asked softly.

"We'll see, Harry; I'd love to go, but we can't have Professor Dumbledore get suspicious. Professor Snape and I always remained in the castle over Christmas and most part of the summer holidays, and all of a sudden, we are both absent for several weeks. This year, we won't be able to leave at all, because we're going to have guests at the school, and we'll have a Yule Ball on Christmas. Even all the students are required to return for the ball."

"Well, then I'll return for the ball and flash back afterwards. If necessary, I can tell Professor Dumbledore the truth," Harry said pensively.

"You could invite Godiva to accompany you here for the ball," Snape suggested, smirking.

"Oh, that's a brilliant idea," Harry replied excitedly. "Don't you think someone will notice that she isn't from here though?"

"No," McGonagall replied warmly. "We'll have to provide her with dress robes for our time, but no one will notice. You could tell everyone that she's attending a wizarding school abroad."

'_Well, she promised to spend part of the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts this year, and even if we can't manage to leave at Christmas, we can leave at a later time and flash to Christmas this year. I hope she'll like it here_,' he mused, while he drifted off to sleep that night.

ハリーと幸せの願い

At the Welcoming Feast, the Headmaster told everyone that Hogwarts was going to host a Triwizard Tournament and students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would join them for the whole school year.

'_It's a bit sad that there won't be any Quidditch matches, but the tournament sounds interesting too_,' Harry thought, while he flipped through the notes his father had given him for his mastery studies. Suddenly, a thought penetrated his mind. '_What am I going to tell my friends, why I can't study with them in the evenings? Since I don't have detention with Snape anymore, I either need another excuse in order to be able to study for the mastery in the evenings, or I have to tell them the truth_.'

Finally, he decided to tell his best friends, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Blaise, and Draco, the truth. Considering that he was probably going to bring Godiva with him over Christmas, it would be the best if his friends knew everything just in case he needed their help.

Over the next few weeks, all the students' attention was directed to the upcoming arrival of the guest from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for the Triwizard Tournament. However, as soon as everything quietened down a bit and the school was waiting for the Goblet of Fire to decide, who would participate in the tournament, Harry gathered his friends in his room, where they often met after their last afternoon classes to study together.

Harry hesitantly began to speak, hoping that his friends wouldn't despise him because of what he was going to tell them or because he only decided now to tell them the truth. "I have to tell you something. Before I continue, I'd like you to promise me that you won't be angry or hate me because of not telling you earlier and keeping this a secret from everyone. Plus, I want you to promise me that you'll keep my secret and won't speak about it with others."

"I promise," Hermione and Luna replied immediately.

"Me too," Neville agreed, followed by Blaise and Draco.

Harry sighed. "Thank you. As you know, when my parents died, Professor Dumbledore placed me with my relatives." Seeing that everyone nodded, he continued, "They were so horrible to me and hated me so much that when I was two years old, I wished to be with someone, who loved me, and using accidental magic I flashed myself one thousand years into the past. I'm an Animagus, and my Animagus form is that of a sand phoenix, able to flash through the sands of time."

His friends' expressions had changed from that of interest to one of disbelief. "I grew up with the Founders, who raised me as their child, because I'm the first child, who is a direct descendant from all four of them. They taught me all the things, which one was supposed to learn in the past, and when I was eight they made me attend first year classes, so that I took my OWLs in the past right before I came here for my first year. Of course, what I learned in the past doesn't help me too much with my classes here, since it is very different," he added, noticing an expression of envy on Hermione's face.

"Is that why you always flash home for the holidays?" Luna queried curiously.

"Yes, I always flash into the past. Sometimes, I even go home during the school year. Normally, I can manage to be back within an hour, so that no one notices."

"Harry, does the Headmaster know about this?"

'_A typical Hermione question_,' Harry thought in annoyance, before he replied, "No, but Professors McGonagall and Lupin know as well as Madam Pomfrey, and," he chuckled, "recently, Professor Snape got to know as well, because I flashed him with me to the past, so that my father could teach him a lesson, and he in fact seemed to enjoy it and even willingly remained throughout the whole summer."

"Are you getting along better now?" Hermione enquired softly.

"Yes, much better." He pointed to the doors to his parents' quarters. "I don't know if you can see these two doors. Only people, who know, can see them. They lead to my parents' quarters. During this school year, I'll have to spend lots of time in my father's potions lab, because I'm studying for my Potions Mastery. I've already taken my NEWTs in Potions," he admitted in a small voice, before he asked hesitantly, "Will you still be my friends?"

"Of course," his five friends replied simultaneously and bombarded him with questions about the past and his life with the founders, until McGonagall came and threw them all out, because it was already past curfew.

"I'm sorry, Professor, it's my fault, because I told them the truth tonight; they had lots of questions for me, and we lost track of the time." Harry apologized, causing the teacher's stern expression to soften immensely.

"All right, Harry; let's make it your fault, so that I don't have to take House points from anyone," she smirked, and after a simultaneous chorus of, "Thank you, Professor," the five students hurried away.

Knowing that he neither had detention after dinner anymore nor needed an excuse for spending the evenings in his father's lab, Harry decided to ask Snape about brewing the wolfscure potion together in order to cure the werewolves like Dumbledore had suggested two years earlier. The next day, Harry remained after his Potions class ended and suggested his idea to Severus, who immediately agreed. Since they both had other things to do as well, they decided to merely brew a large batch of the potion on Sunday evenings and perhaps meet spontaneously for another batch during the week if they had time.

"Do you want to brew in your father's lab or in the Potions classroom? We could also use my private lab," Snape queried Harry, who sighed in return.

"I don't really mind, but Dad Salazar's lab would be the easiest, because the ingredients we need are already there."

"All right then, we'll brew it in your lab, and if I have detention to supervise or the Headmaster might come and search for me, I'll tell you to come down to the dungeons. The fireplace in your parents' living room is not connected to the internal Floo network, is it?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Floo network yet in my parents' time, and in order to get it hooked to the internal Floo I'd probably have to tell the Headmaster the truth."

"Maybe we can find another way, Harry. Let me think about it," Snape replied thoughtfully. "It's time to head to the Great Hall. Who is your Hogwarts favourite for champion?"

"Hmm... I don't really know. Maybe Cedric Diggory; he's very nice, but I don't know any of them all that well," Harry replied, trying to keep up with the professor's fast pace as he followed him up to the Great Hall, curious whom the Goblet of Fire would choose.

_

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_

tbc…

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	30. The Grandparents

**30 – The Grandparents**

The Great Hall was beaming with excitement, and Harry chose to sit with Blaise and Draco at the Slytherin table.

"It's a pity that we can't participate," Draco pouted over the whole Halloween feast, causing Harry to sigh in exasperation.

"I'm sure that the age limit is there for a reason. I don't think it'll be too much fun to participate, knowing that the whole school is watching you and wants you to do your best even if it'll kill you. I heard that people have died in Triwizard Tournaments. No, I'm glad that we can lean back and watch for once," Harry replied, his voice laced with annoyance, which caused his friends to chuckle.

Only after the feast, the Goblet of Fire was brought into the Great Hall, and the whole school watched as it spit out three slips of papers, each with the name of a champion of one of the participating schools on it. The Goblet chose Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, and Viktor Krum from Durmstrang.

"Diggory is a good choice I think," Blaise stated, obviously hoping to finally stop Draco from complaining about the age limit.

"Well, it was clear that it wouldn't choose a Slytherin," the blond boy murmured grumpily.

"Anyway, he is Hogwarts' champion, and we'll all have to support him," Harry said firmly, rolling his eyes at his friend.

ハリーと幸せの願い

If Harry had believed that the school year would be quiet, he was sorely mistaken. The news that Harry and Professor Snape worked together and had found the long lost cure for lycanthropy, of which nobody had even known had ever existed, caused as much uproar around the magical world as the Triwizard Tournament that was taking place at Hogwarts.

Not wanting to reveal the truth about Harry, which they'd have to reveal if they published the recipe that contained several ingredients that were unavailable in their time, Severus and Harry refused to make the recipe public and instead promised to brew as many batches of the potion as were needed to cure all the werewolves over the next few years.

They signed an agreement with Minister Fudge and the Head Healer of St. Mungo's stating that they would deliver at least fifty phials of the potion to St. Mungo's ten days before the full moon every month. In return, the Ministry agreed to pay one thousand Galleons for each phial.

The large batch of the potion they brewed every Sunday was enough to heal ten werewolves, so that every second month they had to brew an additional batch during the week. Knowing that Harry could flash them back five hours if absolutely necessary, they didn't have to worry about their schedule, but both of them decided to try without flashing through time.

'_Fifty thousand Galleons each month; that's an enormous amount of money_,' Harry thought incredulously.

However, when he voiced his thoughts to the Potions Master, Snape told him, "Imagine how much it would cost the Ministry to provide them with the Wolfsbane potion each month for the rest of their lives. That would be much more expensive."

"But the Ministry didn't pay for their Wolfsbane, did it?"

"No, and only few of the werewolves could afford the potion. That's why so many werewolves are running around now. However, this time, the Ministry expects to get rid of all of them, if they paid for it. I can still imagine that many people hesitate to take the wolfscure potion. I just hope that they'll agree after hearing that it cured their friends from lycanthropy."

ハリーと幸せの願い

On all the other days, Harry tried hard to finish his homework together with his friends between his last afternoon class and dinner, so that he could concentrate on his Potions studies in the evening. So far, he was able to proceed according to his plan, and he didn't have any problems. Only once, he decided to ask Professor Snape when he couldn't understand the reasoning for the use of a certain ingredient. Fortunately, the potion only involved ingredients that were still available in the future, so that the Potions Master was able to explain the matter to Harry without any problems.

One evening however, three days before the beginning of the winter holidays, Harry made his first real mistake. He was nearly finished with a potion and had just inserted the moon fern slices when a white mist emerged from the cauldron, enveloping Harry and causing him to lose consciousness immediately.

When McGonagall entered Harry's room shortly after curfew to check on him like every night, she walked over to the Potions lab, slightly annoyed that Harry still hadn't finished his brewing, and stopped dead in her tracks seeing the child in an unconscious heap on the floor, while a white mist was continuing its escape from the cauldron. She quickly pointed her wand at the cauldron, glad that Snape had taught her the Evanesco spell for potentially dangerous chemicals, which she used to banish the potion and the white mist, before she leaned over Harry, confirming that he was still alive.

'_Thank God, he's breathing_,' she mused and hurriedly put the boy on a conjured stretcher, glad that the hospital wing was just around the corner.

"He's been exposed to a very dangerous and poisonous gas," Pomfrey stated after waving her wand at the child a few times. "We need Severus here quickly." She rushed to the fireplace and called the Potions Master.

A minute later, Snape arrived, and the two elder women noticed gladly that a small sign of concern flashed over the younger teacher's face, before it was replaced by his normal blank mask.

"I'll have a look at his lab," Snape told them. "I need to know what he was doing in order to brew the most efficient antidote possible. It'll take me at least an hour, before I return, because I'm going to brew an antidote right away. Try to keep his fever down; it could become dangerously high while I'm gone."

With that, Snape strode over to Harry's room, carefully entering the Potions lab. He looked at the recipe laid out on the table, wondering what could have caused such a reaction. When he closely inspected the remaining ingredients, he noticed a two millimetres sized slice of moon fern.

'_Moon fern?_' he thought incredulously, '_wasn't it moan fern?_' He once more looked at the recipe. '_Moan fern!_' he read, groaning. '_Of course you can't insert moon fern into that potion or you'll get a highly dangerous white mist out of it._' Knowing that he didn't have time to lose, he didn't bother returning to his own lab, but hurriedly began to brew the appropriate antidote, glad that he had been able to find out what the problem was so quickly.

Nearly two hours later, he stormed into the hospital wing, several phials of a potion on his arms. "He'll need that three times a day for three days," he told Pomfrey, before he explained to the flabbergasted women what had happened, watching from the corner of his eye as Harry stirred as soon as the potion that Pomfrey had spelled into his stomach took effect.

He stepped over to the child's bed but felt himself being pushed to the side by the Mediwitch, who told him sternly, "No Severus, I'm first." She quietly talked to Harry, spelling a headache potion and a fever reducer into his system, before she let Severus to Harry.

"Harry," he whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Do you know what happened?"

"A white mist," Harry mumbled sleepily. "I don't know what I did wrongly though."

"I can tell you that," Snape replied gently. "You inserted moon fern instead of moan fern. But it's all right; such things can happen even if they shouldn't. You'll feel horrible for three days, but then you'll be better."

In order not to have to tell the Headmaster what happened, Pomfrey officially declared that Harry had the wizard's flu and wasn't allowed any visitors, knowing that Harry was too ill to see his friends anyway. Snape as the Potions Master could enter the hospital wing at any time, and McGonagall came in her cat form, so that the Headmaster didn't notice that both of them visited Harry whenever they had time. The two teachers also made Harry's friends come to McGonagall's office the next evening and explained to them what had happened, glad that his friends knew the truth about Harry.

"Maybe one of us should stay with Harry every evening when he is brewing his potions," Hermione suggested. "We could take turns."

"That's a very good idea, Ms. Granger," McGonagall said warmly.

"In fact, someone should be with him. If Professor McGonagall hadn't found him yesterday evening, he likely wouldn't have survived," Snape explained, causing the students to quickly consent to Hermione's suggestion.

Everyone except for Blaise agreed. "Harry won't like being supervised by us. He'd feel too bad for us spending all of our time in the lab instead of having fun somewhere else. I don't think that way of course, but that's how Harry would think. Wouldn't it be better, if he served detention in the Potions classroom once more, so that you could keep an eye on him, Professor?"

Snape threw his thoughtful little snake a pensive look and promised, "I'll speak with Harry and ask him. Most of the time, I could use his lab to brew the potions I need, so that he won't have to bring all his ingredients down to the Potions classroom, since I'll find everything I need in his lab anyway."

In the meantime, Harry was delirious, captured in fever dreams about the dragons from the first task of the tournament, which he had watched four weeks ago. It had been extremely exciting when the three champions had to try to take golden eggs from the dragons, and Harry was happy that Cedric had managed to finish the task earning the top score. In Harry's fevered dreams, one of the dragons was chasing him around the Quidditch pitch, breathing fire at him every now and then, while the other was trying to catch the Snitch, before Harry managed to close his hand around it.

Like Snape had predicted, after three days, Harry's condition had improved greatly and Madam Pomfrey released him in time for the Leaving feast, so that he had the chance to see his friends, before they returned home only to come back on Christmas Eve for the Yule ball.

"Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't let you flash back home right now. You're not completely well yet and have to remain here for at least three more days," Pomfrey explained to Harry, only releasing him, because McGonagall and Snape had promised to keep an eye on the boy over the next days and because she had to attend her niece's wedding on the next day.

Knowing that he couldn't flash properly as long he had a headache and a fever, Harry didn't protest but began to brew the fateful potion once more after seeing his friends off to the station in Hogsmeade.

He had just flawlessly finished the potion, glad that Snape had explained to him what moan fern was, since he hadn't ever heard of that fern before, when the Potions Master entered his lab.

"Thank you, sir, for cleaning up here after my accident," Harry told the man gratefully, knowing that it could only have been the professor, who returned the lab to its normal condition.

"You're welcome, Harry," the professor replied, sighing and explained that from now onwards, Harry was only allowed to brew under supervision, especially in the evening when he was already tired.

"No!" Harry protested vehemently, causing Snape to sigh. The following twenty minutes lasting discussion, during which none of them wanted to relent, ended when Harry burst into tears and hurried out of the lab, before Snape even knew what happened. Harry returned to his room, pocketed his shrunken trunk, transformed into his phoenix form and flashed into the past, completely forgetting about Madam Pomfrey's order not to flash yet.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry immediately regretted his abrupt action, when he found himself in the middle of a snowy forest. '_Oh no! Where am I?_' he thought, terrified, while he transformed back into his human form, since he wasn't able to walk in the deep snow on his phoenix feet. '_There are two possibilities_,' he mused. '_Either I'm at the wrong place or I managed to flash to a different time, which is likely, because it always happens when I have a fever. How could I be so stupid and flash?_'

Violently shivering in the cold since he had forgotten to put his warm robes on in his rush, Harry transformed back into his phoenix form and took into the air to look out for a sign that would tell him when and where he was. '_If here is where my room is in the future, Hogsmeade can't be far, and maybe it already exists at this time_,' he mused, heading in the direction, in which he expected Hogsmeade to be, considering the position of the sun. Unfortunately, he couldn't see any sign of human civilisation nearby.

'_I can try to flash to Mum Helga, provided that she is alive in this time. Flashing to people without changing the time shouldn't be a problem_,' he thought and tried to flash to his mother to no avail. '_So, I'm definitely in the past_.'

All of a sudden, the sounds of wild animals penetrated his ears, and Harry remembered that there had to be bears and other animals in the forest at such an early time. He flew up into a tree, looking around the snowy area. '_What's that?_' he mused, seeing something that looked like a group of small, stone houses in a slightly different direction than he had assumed Hogsmeade to be. He flew in the direction, recognizing a tiny village, which consisted of a dozen small houses that seemed to be occupied by at least a hundred of people, who quickly gathered at a wide spot in the middle between the houses to watch the beautiful bird. '_Oh, how stupid I am_,' he mused. '_Even if I fly away and transform somewhere to return in my human form, they'll make a connection between the phoenix and me, because both of us are strange_.' Quickly making a decision, he transformed into his human form in front of all the people, who stepped back at his sudden appearance.

"Hello. Please don't be afraid. I'm Harry," he told the stunned people. "I can change into a phoenix and go to different times, but I managed to arrive in the wrong time. I'm sorry to bother you, but what year is it?"

"We have the year 935," a young man replied gently, in an accent that Harry knew as the one from his parents' time. "From which year do you come, and are you a wizard, if I may ask?"

Harry gave the man a shocked look. "Yes, I'm a wizard. How did you know?"

"Because only wizards and witches are able to transform into animals, silly," an elder lady replied, causing Harry to smile.

"This is Hogsmeade, isn't it?"

"Yes," the young man replied again. "My name is Hengist of Woodcroft, and I founded the village a few years ago. Only magical people live here."

"Ah, all right. I am Harry Potter, and I was born in the year 1980. However, when I was two years old, I flashed myself to the year 982, where I grew up. In a few years' time, a magical castle will be built up there, called Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the four founders took me in and raised me at the school. I'm going back and forth in time, but this time, I wanted to return to the year 994, but I was obviously too tired when I flashed and went back too far." He waved his wand and conjured a warm blanket, which he threw over his shoulders to cover his shivering body.

"You look exhausted and cold, young man, and you'll come with me and get a good rest, before you try to flash yourself back to your parents' time," a young woman, who somehow reminded him of his Mum Helga, told him in a firm voice.

"What are the names of the four founders?" Hengist queried, eyeing Harry with interest.

"Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Helga Hufflepuff," Harry replied in a small voice, getting slightly worried about telling too much about the near future.

"Godric Gryffindor is my baby's name," a young woman said enthusiastically, showing Harry the baby boy she was carrying around.

"Dad Godric," Harry whispered in complete amazement as he gently stroked the baby's soft cheeks.

"I'm Avery Slytherin, and my wife is pregnant with my baby. I'll make sure that we name him Salazar."

"And my name is Christina Ravenclaw. I don't have a daughter yet, but I'll certainly name her Rowena, and I'm already very proud of her. Please tell her that, if you manage to meet her," a young woman with the same green eyes as Rowena and Harry told him.

Harry chuckled. "I'm so glad to meet you, and since I'm the first heir of all four Founders, the three of you are my many times great grandparents."

"I am Heather Hufflepuff, and this is my husband Heath. You're coming with me to my home to get a good night's rest, great grandson," the lady, who had already invited him a few minutes ago, told him in a voice, which he only knew too well from his mother, not to argue with her just comply to avoid any problems.

Heather made Harry eat a thick soup, before she prepared a warm bed right in front of the fireplace for him and put him to bed. In the morning, she still wanted to keep Harry there, insisting that he was still not well enough to leave.

"I know, but I feel better now, and I'm afraid that I'll tell the people here too much about the future, which I shouldn't do, since I don't want to change the future. Thank you very much, Grandmother Heather, Granddad Heath. I'm glad that I got to know you, and please make sure that you visit us at the castle over the summer holidays or over Christmas, so that we can meet again."

"We'll try, and we'll bring your other grandparents with us," Heather promised, placing a kiss on Harry's forehead.

With that, Harry tried hard to concentrate on his own room in the time when his parents were alive, before he once more tried to flash, hoping to arrive in the year 994, although a tiny voice at the back of his mind told him that he was stupid to flash so soon again.

_

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tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews; I appreciate them very much! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	31. The McGonagalls

**31 – The McGonagalls**

This time, Harry found himself in his own room, but when he looked at the calendar on his desk, he stopped dead in his tracks. '_December 20__th__, 1094_,' he read, horrified. '_Are my parents still alive now?_' he mused. '_Well, if not, my sisters and brothers should still be here_,' he decided and cautiously stepped over in Helga's and Salazar's quarters.

To his great relief, he found all of his parents and several of his brothers and sisters with a bunch of smaller children in the living room. "Hello," he said hesitantly.

"Thunderbolt!" Salazar, who was sporting a long, white beard, was the first to notice him, causing everyone to turn their heads to Harry.

"Oh my Leofost, what's wrong with you that you arrived at the wrong time once again?" Helga asked in concern, stepping over to the child.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Harry replied in a small voice. "I first flashed into the year 935, although I wanted to flash to Christmas 994, and now I'm here."

"Helga, don't you remember, Harry told us something like that when he was a teenager, and from that time onwards, our parents began to visit us twice a year, which they didn't dare before as much as we invited them," Rowena threw in. "You had a potions accident or something, didn't you, Harry?"

Harry gave his mother a small nod and let Helga pull him with her to the sofa, where she ordered her great grand children to make space for him, before she waved her wand over Harry.

"You'll have to stay here for at least two days, before I can allow you to flash further into the past, Leofost. The only problem is that your future self is due to arrive here with his wife and probably two of his children or grand children any time now, and frankly speaking I don't think it would be good for you to meet them and know too much about your own future," Helga explained thoughtfully. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Maybe I could stay in the hospital room? Can't you give me a sleeping draught, so that I can just sleep until I can flash back?" Harry asked pleadingly.

"No, I have a better idea," Lily, Harry's younger sister, threw in. "This, Harry, is my husband, Mitchell McGonagall. You can come with us and spend the time at McGonagall Manor. We live there together with our children and the family of Mitchell's younger brother Milton. Milton and his wife Minerva are the many times great grandparents of the Minerva McGonagall of your time."

Seeing that a huge smile spread over her brother's face, Lily turned to Helga. "May Harry come, Aunt Helga?"

Although she would have preferred to keep Harry close, Helga had to admit that this was the best solution and let Harry go with Lily, instructing her to keep an eye on the child and make sure that he rested enough and only flashed when he was completely recovered.

Lily and Mitchell promised to do as they were told, gathered their children and grand children around Harry, and activated a Portkey, which took them to the entrance hall of McGonagall Manor.

"Do you already have Portkeys?" Harry wondered in amazement.

"Yes, because you told us about them and taught us to make them," Mitchell laughed, causing Harry to smirk.

"We have an east wing and a west wing here at McGonagall Manor," Lily explained gently. "We live in the east wing and Minerva and Milton live in the west wing with their family. They have two children and five grand children just like we do. This door here leads to a huge parlour, where we often meet for tea in the evenings." She pointed to the two adults, who had remained beside them. "These are my daughter Ginevra and my son-in-law Martin. Our son Harry and his wife Anna don't live here with us."

Harry couldn't help grinning and apologized, "I'm sorry, but it's so hard to believe that you're my baby sister Lily and to have you introducing me to your children, who are three or four times as old as I."

"Well, it's strange to see my adored older brother as a child," Lily smiled back. "Harry, are you feeling well enough to join us for tea and to meet the rest of the family?"

"Of course," Harry replied and followed his sister and her daughter into the parlour. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw himself face to face with Minerva McGonagall. The lady in front of him was not only of the same age as his professor, but she looked absolutely identically.

"Hello Harry," the lady greeted him gently. "I've met your older self a few times, and I've heard many things about you and your teacher, who is my many times great granddaughter."

"Hello, Professor," Harry blurted out. "Um... I'm sorry for my reaction, but you look exactly like my professor. It's as if you were her lost twin."

Minerva smiled. "You don't have to call me professor, Harry. I'm Minerva. Anyway, I heard that I did, but unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to meet her yet. Maybe you can bring her here some time." She ushered Harry to the sofa, introducing her husband, who was just playing wizard's chess with his brother.

Harry stayed three days and four nights at McGonagall Manor and enjoyed his stay very much, although he couldn't get used to the thought that the ninety-eight year old woman was his little sister Lily, who had only been seven when he last saw her in the summer. Minerva and Milton invited Harry to stay over Christmas, but knowing that Lily and her family would spend Christmas at Hogwarts and feeling well enough to flash safely Harry decided to leave on the morning of Christmas Eve. After thanking everyone profusely, receiving a series of hugs and kisses in return, Harry transformed into his phoenix form and concentrated on his own room on the twenty-second of December, 994.

ハリーと幸せの願い

This time, Harry managed to arrive at the right time. He sighed in relief when he left his room to look for his mothers. Strangely, Lily was the first he met, and Harry pulled her into a bear hug. '_That's what Lily is supposed to look like_,' he mused, throwing his small sister a huge smile.

"Hi Harry; I'm so glad that you're back," Lily said happily, hugging him back. "Mum is in her office and Aunt Helga in the hospital room."

"Thank you," Harry replied, hurrying to the hospital room. He couldn't wait to tell his mother about his experiences on his way home.

Unfortunately, his father was with his mother and scolded him vehemently after hearing about his fight with Professor Snape. "I'll write to Professor Snape to thank him for his offer and ask him to supervise you," he decided, throwing Harry a menacing glare.

"But then I'll only be able to study when he has time to supervise me. I'll never manage to finish the Potions Mastery this summer," Harry complained heatedly.

"And why is that such a problem, Thunderbolt? You can take the mastery test a year later, but if something happens to you, because you're brewing difficult potions on your own, you may never be able to become a Potions Master," Salazar replied sharply.

"Your father is right, Leofost," Helga agreed, "we don't want anything to happen to you."

"All right, but please make sure to tell him only to supervise me with difficult potions above NEWT level and not when I just want to brew a simple headache potion," Harry said grumpily, glaring at his father.

"Agreed," Salazar replied, smirking, and patted Harry's shoulder, before he strode out of the room.

"Now you have to tell me everything about your travel, Leofost," Helga said gently, pulling him onto a chair in her office, where she patiently listened to Harry's story. "I'm glad that you had such nice experiences, Leofost, and I'm even more happy that you're all right, but I hope you learned to be more careful before flashing from now on," she finally told him, pulling him in a bear hug.

"I'll try to be more careful," Harry gave back unsurely. "Um... Mum, do you know if Godiva is here over the holidays?"

Helga smiled at her oldest son. "Yes sweetie, she told me she had promised you to remain here over the Christmas holidays this year."

Harry's expression darkened a bit. "Yes, well, in fact I have to return to the future for Christmas, because they're going to have a Yule Ball and all the students have to be at Hogwarts for the ball. I thought I could ask Godiva to accompany me."

"So you won't be here over Christmas?" Helga queried, sounding slightly disappointed.

"We can leave tomorrow and come back on the same day of course. I don't mind having Christmas twice this year, but let me ask Godiva first. I'd really like to take her with me," Harry replied excitedly, causing Helga to laugh.

"I'm sure she'll travel with you. She told me that she'd love for you to take her to the future with you sometime. However, you have to promise me that you will only flash with a passenger if you're really feeling well."

"Yes, I promise. Back in September, I finally told my friends the truth, and they'll help me make sure that nobody guesses where she comes from. Well, who would be able to guess that she came from your age anyway?" He shrugged.

"No one would, that's for sure, Leofost. Why don't we go to the Great Hall? It's nearly time for dinner, and you can meet with your girlfriend."

"Oh, is it already that late? I didn't even say hello to Mum Rowena and Dad Godric," Harry replied in surprise and followed his mother out of the hospital room.

When they entered the Great Hall, Harry glanced around in complete amazement. '_This is beautiful_,' he thought. '_They've decorated the Great Hall just as Minerva taught them last year. I just love the colourful baubles on the tree and the mistletoe all over the walls_.'

"Lufu!" his mother's voice pulled Harry out of his musings.

"Hi Mum," Harry replied happily, letting himself be pulled into a bear hug.

"Harry!" Godiva appeared behind Rowena. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"I'm glad to be here, too," Harry replied, smiling at his girlfriend, before he hugged her lightly. "Godiva, we're going to have a Yule Ball on Christmas in the future, and I thought that maybe you'd like to accompany me," he said hesitantly, looking at her shyly.

"I'd love to come with you, Harry," Godiva agreed happily. "When are we going to leave?"

Harry thoughtfully exhaled his breath. "Theoretically we can leave at any time. We can be back on the same day if you wish, so that we can have Christmas twice."

"That's too funny," Godiva chuckled. "Harry, I don't mind at all. It's up to you. Is it too strenuous to flash me with you?"

"No, of course not; however, we should travel in the morning since I need to be well rested in order to flash safely. Well, if you don't mind, I suggest that we travel on Christmas Eve. That's the day after tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Yes," Godiva supplied, watching him expectantly.

"All right then, let's leave Christmas Eve morning right after breakfast, and we can be back later on the same day," Harry suggested, sighing in relief when Godiva agreed immediately. '_It's great to have such an uncomplicated girlfriend_,' he mused, feeling absolutely delighted.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The next day passed in a blur. His parents and his small siblings wanted to spend time with Harry, and Godiva had many questions concerning the future. In spite of knowing that she would be together with Harry the whole time, she seemed to be a bit anxious to travel a thousand years into the future.

"Godiva, everything will be all right," Harry tried to console her. You already know Professors McGonagall and Snape, and you will be staying either here in our quarters with me or in Gryffindor with my friend Hermione. I'll flash us to the evening of the twenty-second of December, so that you can get to know my friends on that day and you have the twenty-third to get used to everything. We also have to go shopping at Diagon Alley to buy clothes or at least dress robes for you, because people wear very different clothes in the future. I can show you some photographs of my friends." He slowly trailed off, not knowing if Godiva was interested in watching his photos of his friends.

"Oh that would be great," Godiva replied excitedly, throwing him an expectant look as Harry pulled his photo album out of his trunk. "Do you think I should ask Professor Ravenclaw if she could transfigure my clothes into something matching for the future?" she asked hesitantly after looking at the photographs and asking Harry about the people in the pictures.

Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he decided, "You could do that, but I think it's easier if we ask Professor McGonagall to come over to our room and do that for you. Mum Rowena has never been to the future so far and doesn't know exactly what your clothes should look like."

Godric also talked to Godiva and told her many stories of his three-month stay in the future, while Salazar had another stern conversation with Harry concerning his fight with Severus and handed him a letter for Professor Snape, while Rowena and Helga had written to McGonagall and Pomfrey and even included presents for the two professors they knew and the Healer.

After breakfast on Tuesday morning, Harry's parents and siblings hugged Harry and Godiva, wishing them good luck for their travel and encouraging them to have a lot of fun, causing Harry to roll his eyes.

"We'll probably be back tonight, you know," he gave back, annoyed by all the fussing, especially as he noticed Helga taking Godiva aside instructing her to keep an eye on him and not let him flash if he wasn't one hundred percent well.

"Let's go," he finally told his girlfriend, making sure that he had both of their shrunken travel bags in his robe pocket, before he transformed into his phoenix form.

Rowena instructed the girl to grab his tail feathers, and as soon as Godiva complied, Harry concentrated on the evening he wanted to arrive in the future and flashed away in a small mist of sand.

ハリーと幸せの願い

'_Thank God I managed to arrive at the right time_,' he confirmed at once, before he turned to Godiva. "Are you feeling all right? When my older self flashed me here the first time I felt very dizzy."

"Yes, I just felt a bit dizzy, but it's all right now. Are we in the future?" she queried, curiously looking around Harry's room.

"Yes, we're in the future. It's the twenty-second of December, 1994," Harry replied, making her sit on his bed, "and I assume that Professor McGonagall will show up shortly. She always places a charm on my room so she knows when I'm back, and normally she comes to check on me as soon as she can." He sat down next to his girlfriend, hesitantly pulling her close.

The two students spent half an hour cuddling and kissing, before McGonagall finally arrived.

"I'm sorry you had to wait, Harry, but Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley had a huge fight on the Quidditch pitch, trying to throw each other from their brooms, and I had to take them to the hospital wing first. Welcome to the future, Ms. O'Connor," she said gently, shaking Godiva's hand.

"Thank you, Professor. I'm very happy but also very excited to be here, and I hope I won't do everything wrong," she replied shyly.

"Everything will be all right, dear," McGonagall reassured her in a soft voice, before she offered, "Shall I transfigure your clothing into something more modern?"

"Yes please," Godiva replied gratefully.

Knowing that she was in good hands for the moment, Harry quickly stole himself away and headed into his lab to down a headache potion, feeling much better when he returned into his room two minutes later. Seeing Godiva he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wow, you look absolutely gorgeous," he breathed, looking at his girlfriend in awe.

"Thank you Harry, thank you Professor," Godiva laughed, glancing down her front side.

"You're welcome, Ms. O'Connor," Minerva said gently, smiling at the two students. "By the way, where are you going to stay? Do you need me to organize something for you?"

"Thank you Professor, but Mum Rowena suggested that she could stay in my parents' guest room," Harry explained and led the way into Rowena's and Godric's quarters.

"Very well," McGonagall nodded her agreement, before she let out a long sigh and continued, "I'm sorry Harry, but I have to take you with me to the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore urgently needs to speak with you. He even went to the Dursley residence to search for you, because he couldn't find you anywhere."

"Why?" Harry asked in total confusion.

"I'm sorry, my dear, I have no idea what it is about, but it seemed to be important. I suggest that you take Godiva with you and accompany me to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"All right," Harry agreed, sighing, taking Godiva's hand in his own as they followed the professor into the corridor.

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you for your kind reviews! I'm glad you liked the last chapter since I loved the part with Harry's surrogative grandparents a lot. _

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	32. Intrigues

**32 – Intrigues**

On their way to the Headmaster's office Professor McGonagall queried, "Harry, do you by chance know how to dance?"

Harry threw the teacher a terrified look. "Do we have to dance, Professor?" he asked incredulously thinking to himself, _'I'll look like a fool and just embarrass myself, if I have to dance.'_

"Well, a ball is normally an occasion used to dance, although you not require to, but it will allow for a more enjoyable time," the teacher replied firmly, smiling down at the boy and his girlfriend. "I assume that the way to dance in your time will be quite different from our time, Ms. O'Connor, and I suggest that both of you join my Gryffindors tomorrow evening for a dancing lesson, which will be held in the common room."

"Oh, that's good," Harry breathed in relief. "Thank you Professor. Sorry Godiva, but I've no idea how to dance."

"Nor do I, Harry, but we'll learn together," Godiva replied gently, throwing Harry a fond smile.

"Yule Ball," McGonagall told the gargoyle, and an instant later Harry and Godiva found themselves in the Headmaster's office.

"Oh, you brought a beautiful young lady with you," Dumbledore acknowledged Godiva's presence, offering her and Harry a lemon drop at the same time.

Harry politely declined, "No thank you," before he introduced her, "This is Godiva O'Connor, my girlfriend, whom I brought with me to attend the Yule Ball. Professor McGonagall told me it was all right to bring a guest, if I had a girlfriend."

"This complicates everything of course," Dumbledore mumbled into his beard but said thoughtfully, "Yes of course, Harry, that's perfectly acceptable. I was just surprised to never have heard of a family O'Connor in the British magical world."

"Oh, my family originally comes from Ireland, but my ancestors moved to Australia a long time ago. I attend a small wizarding school called _Shannon School for Magical Sciences_," Godiva lied easily according to her understanding with Harry.

"I see," Dumbledore said with a merry twinkle in his eyes that diminished just a little bit when he turned back to Harry. "Harry, the reason why I was looking for you is that I need you to accompany the daughter of the minister to the Yule Ball."

"Acc... what?" Harry asked incredulously. "Professor, I'm sorry, but that's impossible. I just told you that I brought my girlfriend to attend the Yule Ball with. I can't accompany two people at the same time."

"I know, my boy, but it is essential for Hogwarts that you go to the ball with Ms. Fudge," Dumbledore replied gravely. "The ministry wants to achieve more influence at Hogwarts, and to prevent that I have to agree on Fudge's private wishes."

"No, Professor, you should have talked to me before agreeing to the minister that I would accompany his daughter. I will attend the ball together with my girlfriend," Harry replied firmly. "We came all the way back from Australia, because Professor Snape told me I had to attend the ball, but I will only do so with Godiva. I'm sorry, Professor. Maybe Blaise or Draco would agree to accompany her."

"Harry, I can understand your wish to attend with your girlfriend, but I'd like you to think about this matter further, and I will ask you again tomorrow morning to see if you change your mind."

"In that case Godiva and I will return to her home right away, and I'll be back when school begins again in January," Harry gave back, slowly getting angry. '_I'm the heir of all four Founders. Therefore, Hogwarts technically belongs to me. I have to ask my parents to come up with a solution that assures me more power over the school, for example to dismiss the Headmaster or to abolish the board of governors_,' he resolved.

"Easy, sweetie," Godiva spoke up in a calming voice, placing her hand on Harry's arm. "We'll still be able to spend some time together, even if you accompany the other girl to the ball."

"Definitely not, that is not going to happen, I will attend with you or we will go back to your home for the rest of the holidays," Harry seethed. "Was that all, Professor?" he queried snappily, standing up from his seat.

"Yes my boy," Dumbledore replied tiredly. "I'll speak with the minister. Please come to my office again tomorrow after breakfast."

"I don't think that'll be necessary. Good night, Professors," Harry said upset, pulling Godiva with him out of the room.

Back in Harry's room, he turned to his girlfriend with a stern expression on his face. "Listen Godiva, I'm going to flash home right now, and I'll ask Dad Godric to write a statement that allows me to have some control over political matters here at Hogwarts from 1995 onwards. I'll be back by the time you wake up in the morning."

"Harry, are you sure that you'll be okay? You told me you could better flash in the morning when you are well rested," Godiva replied in concern, causing Harry to sigh.

"Yes, but since I don't have to take anyone with me I'll be all right. Please go to bed and sleep. I'm going to sleep a bit before I come back, so you don't have to worry about me. Good night, my dear," he said softly, before he lightly pressed his lips against hers.

After a few minutes of cuddling and kissing Harry transformed into his phoenix form, let out a few calming trills for his girlfriend, and flashed away, concentrating on the day, on which he had left, but just a bit later in the morning.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Fortunately, Harry managed to arrive at the correct time. In spite of feeling absolutely exhausted, he dragged himself to his father's office.

"Leo!" Godric said in surprise. "What are you doing here? You only left an hour ago."

Harry quickly filled his father in about what happened, causing Godric to remain pensive for a moment.

"Yes Leo, I think we could set up a declaration that states that you and your heirs to be the legal owners from the year of your birth, 1980 if I remember correctly, onwards. We'll also state that the legal owner has full power over the school as well as over the Headmaster and the Board of Governors, and that the Ministry of Magic can't have any influence over Hogwarts whatsoever. However, I need your mothers and your Dad Salazar for that as well since it takes all four of us to make a declaration." He turned to his familiar. "Fawkes, could you please call the other three?"

Fawkes let out a comforting trill and flashed away only to return a minute later.

"How do they understand what Fawkes wants?" Harry asked curiously. He had wondered about the matter earlier but hadn't had the opportunity to ask.

"He sings a special melody, which the others recognize, and they know that it means to come here to my office urgently," Godric explained, while he already prepared the declaration for his colleagues to sign.

While the Headmaster explained the problem to his wife and friends, Harry let his eyes wander around the office. The room was exactly the same as it was in the future; however it was much plainer and the fine glass devices assembled in Dumbledore's office were missing. '_I prefer the room as it is now; it displays the interesting structure of the room so much more_,' he thought. '_I wonder what happened to the charmed window in the future though. I'll have to check that out sometime in the future, perhaps when I'm a teacher at Hogwarts_.'

To Harry's relief Rowena, Helga, and Salazar fully agreed with Godric's suggestion, and twenty minutes later, Harry held the declaration in his hands. "We'll also place a copy in the library, another one into our vault at Gringotts, and one here in my office," Godric told Harry, before he laid his hand on the wall, mumbling something in old English.

"What was that?" Harry queried in complete astonishment when Godric finally finished his mumbling after an infinite time.

"That," Godric chuckled, "was a charm, which I placed on the castle. If a Headmaster tries to harm the school or if a member of the Ministry of Magic tries to gain influence over Hogwarts, the person in question will sadly meet an unfortunate fate."

"You know, Lufu, that the walls of the castle are filled with an immense amount of magic, don't you? Twelve years ago, when you still were a baby, we introduced you to the castle by placing your hand on her walls and telling her that you were our rightful heir. Therefore, Hogwarts will always recognize you as her owner in the future. You only have to put your hand on an empty part of the wall in order to speak with her," Rowena explained gently. "That way, you can also ask the castle to make an additional room or add a door at a certain spot."

"Thank you so much," Harry sighed, feeling very reassured and relieved. '_That's absolutely cool_,' he thought, resolving to add a room for Godiva right next to his own.

"Does the castle understand my modern English though?" he asked as an afterthought.

"We'll make sure to charm her so she'll be able to understand and speak your English," Rowena replied calmingly.

"Now Leofost, since your problems are fixed you'll go and get some sleep," Helga spoke up in her no nonsense tone of voice.

"Yes, I'll do that, and afterwards I'm going to flash back right away. I'll probably be back tonight," Harry replied and obediently followed his mother back to his own room, smiling when she gently tucked him in and sat on the edge of his bed until he drifted off to sleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry was pulled out of his sleep when his sisters Lily and Helena decided he had slept enough, especially as it was the middle of the day, and began to jump on him.

"Oh no," Harry groaned. "Let me sleep!"

"No Harry, wakey-wakey, it's time for dinner," the girls shouted, causing Harry to jump in surprise.

"It's already dinnertime?" he asked incredulously, knowing that he had to have been asleep for six hours. He cuddled the seven-year-old and the three-year-old close for a few minutes, before he told them, "I'm sorry, sweeties, but I have to go back to the future. I'll try to be back before you go to bed tonight."

"Okay," his sisters replied and watched as Harry transformed into his phoenix form, giggling when a small splash of sand tickled their skin as he flashed away.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry arrived back in his room at six o'clock in the morning. After taking his usual headache potion, he sat down on the edge of his bed, pondering where he should add a room for Godiva. '_Isn't the room, where she stays now, perfect for her_?' a small voice spoke up in his mind, causing him to dismiss the thought for the moment and speak with Godiva about the matter later on and let her decide if she would like her own room.

"Thank God you're back," his girlfriend's voice pulled him out of his musings. "Did everything go well with your parents?" she queried, eyeing him in concern.

"Yes, my dear, everything is all right now. Dad Godric made a declaration that fixed everything," he replied, smiling, and told her about the measures his parents had taken earlier. "This means, we don't have to worry that anything might happen to Hogwarts because of the ministry. I'm taking you to the ball and not anyone else."

"Thank you, Harry," Godiva said happily as she sat down next to him and let herself be pulled into an embrace.

They spoke quietly for a few minutes, before they decided to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast, even if it was still a bit early. "Let's see if any of my friends are already there," Harry told her as they entered the Great Hall. "Oh look, Hermione and Blaise are sitting at the Gryffindor table," he cheered, pulling her over to his friends.

"Hello Hermione, Blaise, this is my girlfriend, Godiva O'Connor," he introduced the girl.

"Hello Godiva, welcome to the future," Hermione said quietly, just in case someone walked in they would not be able to overhear her.

"Harry has already told us a lot about you and it's great to finally be able to meet you in person," Blaise smirked, causing Godiva to blush deeply.

Harry motioned Godiva to sit down next to Hermione, taking a seat right on his girlfriend's other side. They had just begun eating when McGonagall entered the room, causing Harry to jump from his seat. "Sorry Godiva, I'll just go and inform Professor McGonagall about my short trip to the past," he mumbled, before he headed to the Head table and asked the professor if he could speak with her in private for a few minutes.

"Yes of course, Harry," McGonagall replied and led him to a small room right behind the Head table.

"Harry, I'm sorry, if I had known what Professor Dumbledore had wanted to speak to you about, I wouldn't have taken you to see him last night, and also I would not have talked Godiva into accompanying you," the professor apologized in a soft voice.

"No Professor, I know that you only had the best intentions in mind, and in fact it was for the best as it was. After our conversation with Dumbledore, I went to talk with my parents, and they made a declaration and also charmed the castle in a way that it makes impossible for a headmaster to harm the school or for the Ministry of Magic to gain any influence over Hogwarts." He showed her the parchment his parents had handed him earlier.

Minerva sighed in relief as she handed the parchment back. "Harry, that was the best decision you could make. This will save us from the ministry's influence. Don't you think that it was time you told Professor Dumbledore the truth about where you are from and your time travel ability?"

"No," Harry gave back vehemently, "not after how he behaved last night. I'm very disappointed in Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore, Harry," Professor McGonagall gently corrected. "I very well can understand that you are disappointed in the Headmaster, and frankly speaking I'm as well. Nevertheless, you should consider filling him in on your secret at some point."

"I will consider it but not right now," Harry replied, uncertainly turning his eyes to look into the teacher's face that held an expression of warmth and understanding.

"I am very proud of you, Harry. Thank you for telling me the truth," the teacher said in a soft voice.

"Thank you for listening and understanding, Professor," Harry replied sincerely, before they headed back to their respective breakfast tables.

Harry had just resumed eating when the post owls entered the Great Hall and to everyone's surprise an old barn owl landed right in front of Godiva.

"Who would write to me? I mean who knows that I'm here?" she asked incredulously as she took the letter from the owl and curiously opened it. She pulled a parchment out of the envelope only to find that it was completely void of any writing.

"Show it to me," Harry demanded, but before Godiva could hand him the parchment, it vanished into thin air along with the envelope, causing the four friends to gasp, wondering what this could mean.

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you for your kind reviews that encouraged me to write on quickly! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	33. The Yule Ball

**33 – The Yule Ball**

Hermione voiced what all of her friends were thinking, "That's strange. Who knows that you're here, Godiva?"

Godiva threw Harry a questioning look, before she replied, "As far as I know only Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster know that I am here."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Well, maybe Dumbledore wanted to make a point, considering that he wanted me to think over my decision again, but why would he send an empty parchment to Godiva? That doesn't make much sense."

"Poison," Godiva suddenly blurted out as she doubled over in pain and gasped, causing Harry, Hermione, and Blaise to gape at her in shock, "I think …your…Headmaster…poisoned…me, Harry,…I feel…horrible."

Hermione was the first to get a hold on herself. She ran over to the Head table and told her Head of House what had happened while they hurried back to Godiva. Seeing that she couldn't do anything to help the girl, Minerva quickly conjured a stretcher and let Godiva float between her and Harry to the hospital wing, where Harry urgently filled Madam Pomfrey in on what had occurred during breakfast.

The Mediwitch didn't lose time to wave her wand over the girl several times, before she sighed in relief. "Thank God it's not dangerous. It is poison, the Indeca poison in fact, which will cause her a bad stomach ache accompanied by a high fever for two or three days, but afterwards she will be completely fine. Unfortunately, there is no antidote against this poison."

"But there is an antidote! I had to brew it for my OWLs in the past," Harry said grimly, before he continued in an angry voice, "So this confirms that Dumbledore poisoned her in order to force me into attending the Yule Ball with the minister's daughter."

"I can't imagine that Professor Dumbledore would do such a thing," Minerva contradicted vehemently. "Maybe it was the Minister. Let's ask the Headmaster if he already spoke to Fudge."

"Very well," Harry replied. "I entrust you with this research, Professor, meanwhile I'll go to my lab and brew the antidote for Godiva. Madam Pomfrey, would you please ask Professor Snape if he could possibly assist me for half an hour? I'd like to finish the antidote as soon as possible, and it will be faster if he assists."

While Pomfrey hurried to the fireplace and Harry strode to his lab, McGonagall spoke with Hermione and Blaise, asking them to stay for the conversation she was going to have with the Headmaster. By the time Harry and Severus entered the hospital wing with the antidote, the others were still speaking with the Headmaster, while Godiva was in so much pain that she was hardly conscious.

"Hello Ms. O'Connor," Snape said in his soft silky voice as he spelled the potion into her stomach, causing the girl to sigh in relief as the potion took effect.

"Thank you Professor Snape," she whispered gratefully as her eyes drooped and she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

"Is she all right, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry queried, sitting on the edge of her bed looking on at her concern.

Poppy waved her wand over the girl, before she confirmed, "Yes, she is completely cured; however, her body is exhausted from the ordeal and she needs to rest for a few hours."

"Mr. Potter, I do not believe the Headmaster even knows what the Indeca poison is. The Headmaster is adept at many things, but potions are not one of the things that he is very knowledgeable in, especially those that are poisons," Snape spoke up, raising an eyebrow at Dumbledore, who was still discussing with McGonagall, Pomfrey, Hermione, and Blaise.

"Harry, I told the Minister that you have other plans for the Yule Ball," Dumbledore said gravely, throwing Harry an apologetic look. "I don't mind if you want to question me under Veritaserum."

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Professor," Harry replied softly. "I believe that it was the minister, and I'm looking forward to seeing his face tomorrow at the Yule Ball when he becomes aware of the fact that Godiva is fine in spite of his attempt to poison her. I know for sure that he thinks there is no known cure for the Indeca poison since Professor Snape only invented it a short while ago," he lied, while his eyes searched the Potions Master's dark eyes for confirmation, which the man granted him by unobtrusively nodding his head.

"Thank you, my boy. I'm glad that you have learned to get along with Professor Snape so well," Dumbledore replied, while his eyes began to resume their usual twinkle for a moment, before his expression turned grave. He sighed, before he continued, "However, our problem about the Yule Ball is not solved yet. As I told you yesterday the Minister is threatening to intervene at Hogwarts."

Harry sighed in annoyance as he reached into his robe pocket, producing the parchment he had received earlier in the past. "Headmaster, I told you that I received a potions manual from Salazar Slytherin for my eleventh birthday. I also got this parchment, which states that the minister can't intervene at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise. "Excuse me, my boy, will you allow me to check the authenticity of this parchment?"

"Of course, Professor," Harry replied calmly, knowing that his parents had been wise enough to secure the parchment with ancient charms.

The Headmaster pointed his wand at the parchment, causing several letters to emerge from the tip of his wand forming the words, '_Godric Gryffindor, Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts, December 23__rd__, 994_.' He looked at his colleagues as he explained, "According to this parchment, which was obviously written by Godric Gryffindor, the heirs of the four Founders are the legal owners of Hogwarts and have the complete power over the school, even overriding the Board of Governors or other institutions affecting the school. It also states that the Ministry of Magic can't have any influence on Hogwarts and whoever tried would be punished by ancient spells placed upon the castle."

"Maybe it would be wise not to relate this piece of information to our illustrious Minister," Snape threw in, smirking.

"That's definitely a good idea, Severus," Dumbledore chuckled as he returned the parchment to Harry.

"Well, I hope you'll understand my decision to take Godiva to the ball," Harry said quietly, before he returned to Godiva's side, sitting on the edge of the bed until she woke up later that afternoon. '_He didn't tell them that I'm even able to override his decisions_,' Harry thought, smirking. '_Professor McGonagall knows though, and I trust her completely. I wonder how Fudge will react and how he'll be punished if he tries to do something against the Headmaster or me_.'

Afraid that something else might happen to Godiva, Harry decided not to attend dinner in the Great Hall. Instead he ordered Löwi, who was in his room when he returned with Godiva, to fetch his friends.

"I thought we might have dinner here in my quarters," he told Hermione, Luna, Neville, Blaise, Draco, and Godiva, before he called a house elf and ordered dinner for all of them. As soon as it appeared, he led his friends into the living room of Helga's and Salazar's quarters, making their dinner float in front of them. "Please don't eat just yet," he instructed his friends and quickly explained to Draco, Luna, and Neville that the Minister had tried to poison Godiva. "Let me transform into my phoenix form and check the food first." With that he transformed, knowing that he would be able to sense any kind of poison in his Animagus form, but he couldn't find anything out of order and finally transformed back.

"This place looks really interesting," Hermione spoke up. "I just love the decorations and the furniture. It all looks like a combination from several different centuries."

"Everything is so very colourful and looks extremely delicate and well worked on," Godiva replied in absolute amazement.

"This one was already here in my parents' time," Harry said, pointing to an old looking wooden press. "I like the old things most, because they're relatively plain."

"I know that press," Godiva chuckled. "That's where your Mum Helga always keeps the treats for your younger siblings."

"Exactly," Harry agreed, grinning as he thought of his small siblings. He threw a glance at his watch. "Professor McGonagall invited us to participate in a dancing practice in the Gryffindor common room tonight. Would you like to join us?"

"No thank you," Draco mumbled gruffly, causing everyone to throw him a surprised look. "I don't have a partner, and I'm considering faking sick so I don't have to attend at all," he admitted in a small voice.

"Isn't there anyone you like?" Luna queried, looking at Neville with a dreamy expression.

"Well yes, but no, I don't have a chance anyway, and I can't tell you," Draco replied, setting up an annoyed expression.

"And why might that be?" Harry asked softly.

"Is it perhaps because it's a boy?" Luna enquired, causing Godiva's eyes to widen. "I guess it's one of the Weasley twins."

"Oh no! Weasley perhaps, but not one of the twins. I'm not gay," Draco groaned as his face turned slightly pink as if he was ashamed. "Harry, can you brew something for me that would help me fake sick for a day?"

When Harry threw him an incredulous look, Godiva began to laugh. "I'm studying Healing and Professor Hufflepuff is teaching me," she explained. "Two months ago, a whole sixth year class fell ill one morning right before they were supposed to take a Transfiguration test with Professor Gryffindor. They had strange green pustules all over their bodies and were running a temperature. We thought of course that it had spread from one to the other and quarantined them all, but on the next morning all of them had recovered. Harry, I think the recipe could be found in the book with the funny potions Professor Slytherin gave you for your birthday."

"Did Mum Helga find out that Dad Salazar was behind the whole thing?" Harry queried eagerly, causing Godiva to laugh.

"Yes of course she did, and Professor Gryffindor found out too. He transfigured Professor Slytherin into a tortoise and kept him in his robe pocket for a few hours. I'm surprised that he didn't tell you about the event yet. Actually, he seemed to enjoy himself while he held Professor Slytherin as a tortoise, not that he would ever admit to it."

"Harry, could you please brew that potion for me? If I take it tomorrow morning, I should appear to be too sick to attend the ball," Draco pleaded with a contented look on his face.

Harry sighed. "All right, but I also have to learn to dance tonight."

"We can teach you," Blaise spoke up. "Hermione, Neville, and I learned from Luna. She's really good."

"Oh Luna, would you mind very much to teach Harry and me as well?" Godiva asked softly.

"Of course I will, I don't mind," Luna smiled. "Harry, how long will it take you to brew the potion for Draco?"

"I have no idea, because I don't even know which potion it is yet. Let me go and have a look at the book and find out," he replied and headed to his lab to retrieve the book. "Oh here, I have it," he spoke up after a few minutes of searching. "It'll take thirty minutes to prepare the ingredients and about an hour to do the actual brewing."

"Harry, can I help you with the ingredients?" Hermione asked, and seeing Harry nod she followed him into the lab, while Luna began to teach Godiva how to dance.

When Harry finished the potion, bottling it into several phials, which he hid in his room, mumbling, "Who knows what it'll be good for later," Godiva turned to Draco.

"Please come here in the morning and take the potion, so we can keep an eye on you and take you to the hospital wing when you begin to feel ill. You're really going to feel sick, so maybe you should think about it a bit more to decide if you really want to go through with it," she told him in a soft voice.

"Thank you, Godiva, but I'm positive I want to go through with it. Thank you Harry, Hermione. Are we going to have breakfast here tomorrow morning?"

"Yes," Harry said firmly. "Eight o'clock sound good to everyone?" he queried, glancing around, and nodded when everyone seemed to agree.

When the friends arrived in the morning, breakfast was already waiting on them in the room where they had eaten dinner the evening before, and Harry had thoroughly checked on the food in his Animagus form after opening his Christmas presents together with Godiva, who had been very surprised to receive books and sweets from all of Harry's friends. After breakfast, Godiva asked Draco to lie down on Harry's bed and cast a diagnostic spell on him to make sure that nothing was ailing him that could worsen due to the joke potion.

"I believe everything is all right. Do you still want to take the potion?" she enquired softly, throwing Draco an expecting look.

Draco sat up and took the phial, downing the potion in one large gulp. "Uh, that was disgusting. Harry, couldn't you have at least added some sugar?"

"Oh shut up and lie down. Godiva, do you have an idea how long it'll take until the potion takes effect?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure, but I suppose something between a few minutes and an hour. Shall we practise dancing a bit more in the meantime? Oh Harry, by the way, what am I supposed to wear tonight?"

"We have to ask Professor McGonagall if she can transfigure you some dress robes," Harry replied, shocked at how he could have forgotten to provide dress robes for his girlfriend.

"Godiva, shall we go and see if Professor McGonagall is in her office? In the meantime Harry, you can take Draco to the hospital wing," Hermione suggested, causing everyone to look at Draco and laugh as they saw the green spots that had appeared all over his face.

Everyone agreed to meet in Harry's room again for lunch, and Harry accompanied a shivering Draco to Madam Pomfrey, while Hermione and Godiva went to look for the Gryffindor Head of House. The Mediwitch frowned, waving her wand over Draco several times, before she asked Harry to go to the fireplace and call for Professor Snape.

"Severus, I have no idea what is wrong with Mr. Malfoy. I've never seen such a rash, and apart from that and a moderate fever he seems fine," Pomfrey told the Potions Master, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"Harry, have you seen this kind of rash before and know an antidote for it?" Snape queried, giving him a sharp look.

"No sir, I've never seen such a rash," Harry replied truthfully and left the room as Pomfrey shooed him out quickly, apparently not wanting him to get sick as well.

ハリーと幸せの願い

In time for the Yule Ball, Harry made his way down to the Entrance Hall, where he met with his friends. "Godiva, you look absolutely gorgeous," Harry whispered in complete amazement at the sight of his girlfriend, who was wearing beautiful green dress robes that matched her eyes exactly and that looked beautiful with her hair.

"Thank you, Harry," Godiva whispered back, blushing deeply as she walked into the Great Hall arm in arm with Harry.

Harry glanced around in amazement. '_This is the first time that I've spent Christmas in the future_,' he mused, feeling very excited and glad to have his girlfriend with him.

Following dinner, the three Triwizard Tournament champions and their partners opened the dance, and the Minister, with a girl of about the same age as Harry and Godiva with him beside him, walked up to Harry.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. May I introduce my daughter Evelyn," the Minister greeted him with a false smile on his face.

"Good evening Minister. I'd like to introduce my girlfriend, Godiva," Harry replied politely, throwing Godiva a loving smile. "If you would excuse us now, I promised my girlfriend to dance with her as much as possible this evening." With that he pulled Godiva over to the other dancing couples away from the minister, where Hermione and Blaise were waiting for the next dance to begin. '_Oh, I bet he's really angry_,' Harry mused as he glanced over to the Head table, where the Minister was talking to the Headmaster with a furious expression on his face, while Dumbledore slowly unwrapped a lemon drop and popped it into his mouth.

Harry and Godiva enjoyed the evening and were sad to see it end. Everyone easily accepted Godiva as Harry's girlfriend, and when Harry asked her if she wanted to return to the past the next morning or stay a few more days in the future she decided to spend a few more days with Harry's friends.

The day following the Yule Ball Harry was called to the Headmaster's office.

"Harry, I'm sorry to bother you again," Dumbledore began their conversation. "I just wanted to inform you of Minister Fudge's plans. He told me that he is going to invent a new class, "Magical Education," in which all students will be required to participate from the beginning of the next school year onwards, and he'll send one of his employees to take up the post of teaching it. Harry, I don't know if we can prevent him from doing so. You are aware of the fact that you're the heir of all four Founders, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied thoughtfully. "According to the parchment I showed you the other day, the castle herself should prevent anyone from intervening at Hogwarts." He let out a pensive sigh. "Professor, I'm going home the day after tomorrow, and I'll do a bit more research concerning my powers within Hogwarts. I promise to work together with you and present you with a solution before the summer holidays in case the castle doesn't prevent the Minister from interfering."

"That's an extremely relieving answer. Thank you very much, my boy," Dumbledore replied gratefully. "Are you going back to the Dursleys, Harry?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Probably not sir, I'll accompany Godiva home and I intend to return in time for the Welcoming Feast. Good night, sir."

"Take care, Harry," Dumbledore said gently, watching in confusion and amazement how Harry playfully stroked Fawkes' head and the phoenix contentedly closed his eyes as he relaxed under the boy's hand.

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Thank you for your many kind reviews that encouraged me to write on quickly! I appreciate them very much! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	34. Guests

**34 – Guests**

Harry and Godiva remained in the future until the end of the holidays, before Harry flashed them back into his parents' time, where they enjoyed Christmas for the second time within a fortnight.

The day before he flashed back to the future, Harry spoke with his parents about the ministry's newest attempt to interfere with the school and his concern as to whether or not the castle would be able to prevent a ministry employee from teaching.

"The castle should well be able to defend the school from such kind of intervention," Salazar said firmly, raising an eyebrow at his oldest son.

"Harry, if it will reassure you, I'll accompany you to the future again when you go back at the end of the summer holidays," Godric suggested, causing Harry to throw his father a hopeful look.

"Thanks a lot, Dad," he sighed in relief. "In that case, should I tell Dumbledore the truth about me before the summer holidays, so you don't have to play the hide and seek like you did last year?"

Godric smirked. "Well, the hide and seek game as you call it wasn't so bad. Fawkes and I had a lot of fun. However, I suggest that you finally tell the poor old man the truth. I don't think you're in danger of being sent to the Dursleys, especially as it would merely take you an Animagus transformation and a flash to get away from them."

"I wouldn't even have to transform," Harry mumbled dryly, recalling how he had flashed Severus and Löwi back to the past in his human form.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry arrived in the future early the morning of the last day of the winter holidays. Knowing that in contrary to the other years all his friends were in the castle, he trailed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, sitting down at the still mostly empty Gryffindor table between Hermione and Blaise on one side and the Weasley twins on the other side. Groaning inwardly as he realized that he had forgotten to take a headache potion he forced down a few bites of his breakfast and played with the remaining food on his plate, unconsciously listening to the twins' conversation.

"McGonagall will complain to Mum if we fail the test, Fred, and she's going to send us a Howler that there is no possible way we could forget to study for it."

"We could fake being sick, but I'm not sure how," Fred replied thoughtfully, causing George to snort.

"If we were both sick when we were supposed to be taking a test, she'd send us to Pomfrey, and you can't fool her."

Harry leaned over to the twins. "Come to my room in a few minutes. I have something that'll help you." Smirking at the twins' delighted looks he explained about his potion, which he had brewed for Draco before the Yule Ball, causing the twins to throw him frightened looks. "I'll call Draco, so he can explain what it was like," he promised as he stood up and walked by the Slytherin table, whispering to Draco. "Could you come to my room when you're done here please? I need your advice."

"Of course," Draco agreed and stood up to follow Harry out of the Great Hall.

Back in his room, he asked Draco to advise the twins about the potion, causing Draco to blush slightly. However, when the twins arrived he told them about his sick day, and Fred and George immediately agreed to try the potion out as well.

"The only problem is," Harry threw in, "that the potion lasts a day, so you can either wait until tonight or take the double amount of it and hope that it'll last two days. If you take the normal amount right now, it could be that Pomfrey releases you in time for classes."

The twins decided to take two phials each and gulped down the potions just as Hermione and Blaise entered the room, shaking their heads as understanding set in. Together the four friends brought the twins to the hospital wing as soon as they sported the first green pustules. Hermione and Blaise called Madam Pomfrey while Harry and Draco helped the twins into beds.

"Strange," the Mediwitch said, "you got it much worse than Mr. Malfoy the other day, although it seems to be the same illness and you obviously caught it from him." She threw a worried look at Hermione, Blaise, and Harry, lingering at Harry's face a little longer as he was extremely pale. "Mr. Malfoy, you may stay if you wish, everyone else out immediately," she finally shooed the children out.

"Harry, I think she suspects you. Did you see the strange look she gave you?" Hermione said worriedly when they were back in Harry's room.

"I noticed that," Blaise agreed. "Maybe you should wait a few hours and take the potion as well."

"No, I have enough of a headache as it is. I forgot to take my headache potion, which I always need after flashing," Harry mumbled painfully, absentmindedly taking a phial from the shelf and gulping it down. '_That tasted strange_,' he mused in confusion, noticing that the headache didn't recede but intensified. "Oh no!" he groaned as realization set in. "I took the wrong potion. That wasn't a headache potion; it was the potion I gave to the twins."

"Well, let me take you to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said dryly, pointing at the faint green spots that had quickly appeared on his hands.

"No, I'll just stay in bed here; no one needs to know since I have no intentions of missing classes anyway," Harry mumbled and proceeded to spend the day in bed, feeling absolutely dreadful. He only noticed faintly that Hermione sat on the edge of his bed, wiping his flushed face with a wet towel, before he drifted off to sleep. The next thing he registered was an icy cold hand on his forehead. When he groggily opened his eyes, only to quickly close them again right away, since the light in the room was so bright, he saw Minerva looking at him in concern, and a few minutes later Madam Pomfrey's voice penetrated his ears.

"Yes, he caught the same illness the twins have. He needs a day of bed rest, but I don't mind if he stays here."

ハリーと幸せの願い

For the rest of the school year, the whole school's attention was drawn to the Triwizard Tournament, especially when Cedric won the second task as well, and everyone had high hopes that Hogwarts would win the tournament. Thinking of the third task, Harry suddenly had an idea. In fact, he had been feeling fairly lonely missing Godiva over the last few months, especially as he saw all of his friends together with their partners. Even if Harry spent all his evenings together with Severus either brewing the Wolfscure potion or studying for his Potions Mastery, he still did his homework together with his friends, thinking about Godiva when he watched his friends kissing and cuddling.

'_Her birthday is on the twenty-fifth of May, and that's about the time of the third task_,' he mused, deciding to fetch her to watch the event on her birthday.

When Harry informed his friends about his plan, Hermione warmly replied, "I believe that's a very good idea."

"Harry, I think it's a good idea too, but if I were you, I'd tell Dumbledore the truth about yourself and Godiva, before you bring her here again," Blaise replied thoughtfully, causing Harry to think about the matter.

"Yes, you're probably right," he admitted. "I'll go and speak with him right away."

"Harry, it's already near curfew," Hermione tried to reason. "We have to leave by the way."

Everyone hurried out of the room, while Harry transformed into his phoenix form and flashed straight into the Headmaster's office, landing next to Fawkes on his perch.

#Oh Sandyboy, what a surprise this is# Fawkes trilled happily, causing Dumbledore to throw them a confused look.

#I came to tell the Headmaster the truth. Do you think he'll be angry about the intrusion?#

#Are you angry at my nestling for coming in without knocking, old man?# Fawkes queried, causing Dumbledore to shake his head in confusion.

"Maybe you could introduce your friend to me, Fawkes."

Harry flew down onto the floor and transformed into his human form. "I'm sorry, Professor, for flashing straight into your office, but I didn't want to spend half the night guessing the gargoyle's password," he apologized, sighing.

"Don't worry about that, my boy. It's a pleasant surprise to see you visit Fawkes and me," Dumbledore replied gently, obviously confused enough to offer Harry a lemon drop. '_That must be a first_,' Harry mused, grinning inwardly as he took the offered seat.

"Professor, I came to tell you some things about me that I have been keeping secret," Harry began hesitantly, smiling as Fawkes jumped down onto his left arm, turning his back in the direction of his right hand in order to get his head feathers stroked. He continued as he saw the Headmaster was listening, "I'm a sand phoenix and as such able to flash through the sands of time. When I was two years old, completely neglected and unloved by the Dursleys, I flashed myself one thousand years back in time to the Founders with accidental magic. I grew up with them until I was eleven and began to attend Hogwarts here in this time. I have already completed my OWLs and NEWTs in the past and am currently studying for my Potions Mastery. I always flash back to my parents' time, and Godiva, my girlfriend, is not from Australia but from the past. I'm sorry for lying to you, Headmaster."

"That explains many things, for example why you're so familiar with Fawkes," Dumbledore mused aloud.

"Yes, he is Dad Godric's familiar," Harry replied, gently petting the bird.

"If you don't mind me asking, Harry, who here in Hogwarts knows about your ability to flash through time?"

Harry sighed. "Professor McGonagall has known since I came here. I told her because I needed an adult to turn to, especially as I don't have a Head of House. Madam Pomfrey found out by chance, and Professor Snape found out the hard way when I flashed him to the past, so Dad Salazar could give him a piece of his mind because of his behaviour towards me. My friends have only known for a few months. In fact I told them just before I brought Godiva here for the Yule Ball."

"Thank you, Harry, for telling me the truth," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully, recalling how protective Minerva was of the child.

"Professor, I'd like to bring Godiva here to watch the third task," Harry said hesitantly. "Will that be possible?"

"Where is she going to stay?" Dumbledore queried gently.

"In my parents' quarters' guestroom like when she was here in the winter holidays. I'm staying in my old room from the past, which is connected to Mum Rowena's and Dad Godric's quarters as well as to Mum Helga's and Dad Salazar's quarters," Harry admitted hesitantly, making a mental note to instruct his portrait to never let the Headmaster into his rooms.

"You may bring her here, but be careful, Harry, it must be very strenuous to flash over such a distance with a passenger," the Headmaster replied, causing Harry to chuckle.

"No Professor, I'm used to it. I already flashed several times with Professors Snape and McGonagall, and I even brought Dad Godric here. Do you remember the phoenix I brought, who was good friends with Fawkes?"

"That was Godric Gryffindor?" Dumbledore asked incredulously, rolling his eyes as Harry nodded.

"Oh yes, by the way, Dad Godric promised to come here with me after the summer holidays to help us in case the castle won't react on the ministry's interference when the new teacher comes to Hogwarts," Harry informed the Headmaster, before the excused himself.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The morning of the third task, Harry flashed to the past and managed to arrive the morning of the twenty-fifth of May, Godiva's fifteenth birthday. Seeing that he arrived on the correct day and that breakfast was just about to begin, Harry left his room and headed straight to the Great Hall, where he made a short detour to the Head table to greet his parents, before he crossed the hall towards the Ravenclaw House table, standing behind Godiva.

"Happy Birthday, beautiful," he whispered into her ear, unobtrusively sliding a small box into her robe pocket.

"Harry!" Godiva exclaimed in happy surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard it was my girlfriend's birthday," Harry replied dryly, pulling the girl into a light hug.

"Let's head out onto the grounds for a few minutes," Godiva suggested, causing Harry to put his arm around her shoulders and gently lead her towards the lake.

"Are you going to attend classes with me?" Godiva queried.

Harry shook his head, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss. "I'm going to spend some time with my siblings and to get some rest, so I can take you with me for a short trip into the future tonight. Today, the third task of the Triwizard Tournament will take place and I thought you might want to watch together with me."

"Oh, I'd love to go with you," Godiva replied, looking happily into Harry's green eyes.

Harry and Godiva found the third task a bit disappointing since it took place in a labyrinth that could not been seen into from outside. Nevertheless, they enjoyed themselves and spent a lot of time with Harry's friends in the quiet of his parents' quarters. With Minerva's approval, Godiva stayed in the future for the three weeks until the beginning of the summer holidays when Harry flashed her back to the evening of her birthday.

"Harry, you know that I love having you here, but don't you need to flash back to finish the school year?" Helga asked curiously, knowing that even in the future the holidays wouldn't begin at the end of May.

"Godiva stayed in the future with me for three weeks," Harry explained happily, "so I'm already on summer holidays."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Exactly three months later, Harry flashed back to the future with his father in tow. Knowing that the Headmaster would want a word with Godric before the Welcoming Feast, Harry flashed them to the early morning of the first of September and sent Löwi out with a short note to inform Professor McGonagall that he was back and that his father had come along as well.

A few minutes later, Minerva entered Harry's room, and after an excited welcome between the two professors, Minerva queried curiously, "Godric, our whole staff is already present. Do you wish them to know about your identity, or should I perhaps introduce you as Milton McGonagall, a distant cousin of mine?"

Harry chuckled, aware of the fact that he was the only one, who really knew Milton. Godric would only get to know him in a few years' time, and Minerva only had heard about him from Harry.

"That's a good idea, cousin," Godric chuckled as well, and the three made their way to the Great Hall.

Godric, Albus, and Minerva spent the whole day in a meeting, causing Harry to wonder what they might be talking about.

"Ah, we talked about the new professor from the Ministry," Godric said, sighing. "It's a woman, and she's going to teach Magical Education. I wonder how the castle will take this act of interference from the Ministry."

"I hope the castle will react," Harry replied sharply. "We have enough brilliant teachers here and don't need anyone from the Ministry here to make things difficult."

An hour later, he was sitting at the Slytherin table, while the students filed into the Great Hall, when he noticed a middle aged woman dressed completely in pink take a seat at the Head table. He quickly averted his eyes in disgust.

_

* * *

_

tbc…

_Don't worry... I absolutely detest Umbridge, and she won't last more than sixteen lines into the next chapter - and then.... you'll see ;-)_

_Thank you for your kind reviews that encouraged me to write on quickly! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	35. A Fateful Attempt

**35 – A Fateful Attempt**

Harry's feeling of disgust towards the new teacher quickly turned into rage in their first class of the school year. '_Oh no! I have that woman first thing in the morning_,' Harry groaned inwardly as he received his timetable from Professor McGonagall.

"I'm so excited to have a new teacher and a new subject as well," Hermione babbled as they made their way to the new classroom, which was situated next to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, causing Harry and Blaise to roll their eyes.

"Good morning, girls and boys," the teacher, who like the night before, was wearing her pink robes again, greeted the fifth-years in a false sounding happy voice, giggling like a school girl as Harry noticed with loathing. '_She looks like a toad, even in her annoying pink robes_,' he mused in absolute detest.

"I brought you a copy of our new school book written by myself about how magical education is supposed to be," the toad woman continued. "We will spend this school year reading the book together and trying to change Hogwarts according to the new rules of magical education set forth by the book. The teaching methods and class contents need to be changed greatly to ensure a Ministry approved and uniform education at this school..."

"Professor, it's not possible to just adapt everything in this school to the Ministry's wishes," Harry threw in angrily.

"Oh yes, Mr. Potter, it is possible," the woman said sweetly. "Wait a few weeks and you'll see how we will manage to turn Hogwarts teaching for the better of our society. You won't use your wands anymore, and we won't have any more Defence practice, trying to hurt others, nor Transfiguration and Charms practice, which might lead to hexing others as well. We'll have a peaceful working atmosphere for everyone to study their books, beginning with my own."

"And what are we going to learn, if we don't learn any Transfiguration or Charms anymore?" Hermione enquired, throwing the professor a look of absolute disbelief.

"Oh, of course you will learn all of your Transfiguration, Charms, and Defence spells; however, you'll learn them from studying your textbooks book and not by meaningless wand waving," Umbridge continued in the same sweet voice, which nearly made Harry gag.

'_The castle just has to do something against her; well, in any case, I'm going to tell Dad immediately_,' Harry thought, working himself into rage as the toad like teacher made Lavender read the first page of the book aloud, before she called Blaise to read the second page.

'_I feel like a first-year pupil in primary school_,' Harry mused, angered alone by the procedure, without even considering the far-fetched content of the book.

The class seemed to last for days, but finally, the pink clad woman dismissed them, ordering them to read the next five pages for homework. Harry threw the woman a look of disbelief and hatred before he turned to the door. However, a loud thud made him glance back to the front of the classroom, where the pink robed teacher had collapsed to the floor and seemed to be unconscious.

"Out here now, everyone," Hermione ordered their classmates. "I'm going to call Madam Pomfrey." While everyone headed to their next classes, Hermione and Blaise went to call the Mediwitch, who arrived at the Magical Education classroom at the same time as the Headmaster and Godric.

A short time later, the woman was transported to St. Mungo's, and no one at Hogwarts ever heard anything about her again, except for a short time later the same day when the Minister of Magic arrived at Hogwarts to enquire into what had happened to his most trusted employee and to discuss the continuation of the newly founded subject.

After dinner, the Gryffindor and Slytherin fifth years were called to the Magical Education classroom, where the Minister and all of the teachers were assembled. Harry noticed with relief that his father was present as well.

"I want to hear exactly what happened," Fudge demanded forcefully.

"Ms. Granger, could you perhaps explain?" McGonagall suggested gently, throwing her most diligent student a reassuring nod.

"The professor dismissed us, and we all turned towards the door when we he heard a 'thud' and looked back, but we only saw that she had collapsed on the floor," Hermione said evenly, glancing at Harry questioningly.

"Before it happened, she told us she was going to completely change the Hogwarts teaching system," Harry hesitantly threw in. "I haven't seen anything more than Hermione, but I imagine the castle herself acted against the teacher."

Fudge let out a snort. "Now tell us, Potter, what did you do to the professor? I had the impression during the Yule Ball last year that you thought you could do as you wish here at Hogwarts. Let me tell you..."

"Ah you mean, because I didn't take it well that you poisoned my girlfriend, Minister," Harry furiously interrupted the man. "I haven't done anything to your precious professor, Minister. Each of my classmates can verify that I had nothing to do with what happened to her."

"Regardless, I'm going to teach you otherwise. Tomorrow morning, I shall have a new teacher for your Magical Education class, and you won't have much fun if you don't behave, boy. I believe in Professor Umbridge's ideas greatly, and rest assured that the new teacher will continue using her book and ideas."

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak; however, everyone's attention was drawn back to the Minister as he collapsed to the floor just like it happened earlier with Professor Umbridge.

"What a pity!" Harry heard Snape mumble only loud enough for him to overhear and flashed the professor, who was standing next to him, a genuine smile.

"I'm afraid we will need to take him to St. Mungo's as well," Dumbledore spoke up thoughtfully. "Severus, Filius, if you could see to it, please. I have to head to the Ministry to help installing someone to act as temporary Minister until the election of a new Minister can take place."

"Good riddance," Harry mumbled to his father as they left the room together.

"You see, there was no need to panic; Hogwarts took care of the matter herself," Godric whispered back.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry's friends accompanied him to his room, so they could do their homework together and discuss the events of the day. Harry tiredly sat on his bed, cuddling with Löwi, who immediately jumped on his lap.

Seeing that Hermione seemed to be extremely quiet, Blaise queried in concern, "Mione, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No. Eh, what? Oh well, I'm a bit disappointed. When I heard we'd have a new class I was really happy. I'd love to learn something new. I know we're going to have lots of work, considering we'll have to take the OWLs at the end of the school year, but nevertheless, I thought there would be something different this year."

Blaise, Draco, and Neville groaned, but Luna shook her head in exasperation at the boys' behaviour. "I understand exactly what you are saying, Hermione. I'm a bit disappointed too. Maybe Harry's father can think about it and come up with an idea of a new course to offer. I'm glad I don't have to take my OWLs yet though. It seems to be quite strenuous."

"I know what we can do," Harry threw in, thoughtfully. "I could teach you to become Animagi, provided you want to do it."

"Of course!"

"What a brilliant idea!"

"I wonder if I'll manage to become one?"

"Can we choose our Animagus form?"

"Oh, show us how to do it quickly."

"Can we begin right now?"

Harry groaned. "All right, people, I'll teach you. However, it's nearly curfew, and I'm tired. It will probably be easiest if I brew a potion for you, which will show you the forms you might be able to take. As far as I know, you can choose on which of the forms you want to concentrate. I'll talk to my father about it when he comes home, provided I'm still awake."

"Is it possible to get more than one form?" Hermione asked eagerly, throwing Harry an excited look.

"I have no idea," Harry replied thoughtfully. '_I know I'm a natural Animagus, whatever that means, but perhaps I could try to change into something else as well_,' he mused, feeling relieved when his father entered the room along with Minerva, who quickly shooed his friends out, stating that curfew was going to begin. '_I don't know why I'm suddenly so tired_,' he thought, yawning.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Minerva queried in concern, giving him a sharp look.

"Yes, I'm just incredibly tired," Harry replied, unable to hide a huge yawn.

"Leo, I'm tired too," Godric said thoughtfully. "I believe the castle tapped into our magic in order to deal with the two intruders. Of course she has a lot of magic herself, but maybe she needed our magic to be more efficient. I'm not completely sure, but that's what I think may have happened. Let's just go to bed and sleep. Good night, Minerva, Leo."

"Night Dad," Harry mumbled sleepily, unaware of the fact that Minerva transfigured his school clothes into pyjamas and gently tucked him in, as he drifted off to sleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The first few weeks of the school year flew by. On the first weekend in September, Harry brewed the Animagus potion for his friends, gulping down a dose himself too in order to see into what other animals he could try to transform into.

"It's so difficult to decide which animal to choose," Hermione told the others, deep in thoughts. "I saw myself as an owl, a parrot, a squirrel, and a cat. Which one should I try to become?"

"A parrot," Draco replied immediately, "would fit you best I believe."

"I'm going to try the black panther," Blaise said decisively, causing the others to throw him amazed looks.

Luna wanted to become a hedgehog, Neville a bear, and Draco a white lion.

"What about you, Harry?" Luna queried.

"Ah, I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you later on," Harry replied, pondering which of the animals he observed, while under the influence of the potion, he should choose.

Seeing that his son was extremely busy with his homework, studying for the OWLs, and studying for the Potions Mastery, Godric offered to teach Harry's friends how to become Animagi.

'_Thank God, Dad is teaching them, at least for the time being; this is going to take ages_,' Harry mused one day at the end of October as he returned to his room a bit earlier than normal, seeing that Blaise seemed to be the first, who had managed to transform his left hand into a black paw.

ハリーと幸せの願い

It was nearly midnight on Halloween, and Harry and his friends were still enjoying their party in the Great Hall, while except for Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster most teachers had retired to bed.

"Leo, don't forget to go to bed soon, so you'll be well rested tomorrow morning. I'd like you to flash me home right after breakfast," Godric told him as he excused himself for the night.

"Okay," Harry replied absentmindedly as he observed the Weasley twins testing joke drops on Blaise and Draco. "These are too funny," he laughed. "Could you sell me a couple of each to take home to my younger siblings?"

"We're not really selling them yet..."

"... but we want to open a joke shop..."

"... after finishing our NEWTs," the twins explained.

"Then I'll be your first costumer," Harry announced, just as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, may I disturb you for a moment?" Madam Pomfrey's voice penetrated his ears.

"Of course, Madam Pomfrey; what's wrong?" Harry queried, throwing the Mediwitch a confused look.

Poppy sighed. "Several Gryffindor students have taken ill with the wizard's measles tonight, and Professor Snape just begun to brew a potion for them as well as a preventive potion for everyone else, which we will to add to everyone's drink at breakfast tomorrow morning. If you're not too tired, do you think you could help Professor Snape, so it won't take him the whole night? You'll be excused from your classes tomorrow."

"Of course," Harry replied, standing up from his seat. "Is he in his private potions lab?"

"Yes. I'll go with you and let you in," the Mediwitch promised and accompanied Harry to the Potions Master's private lab.

"Good evening, Severus. Do you want me to prepare the ingredients for you, or shall I brew the preventive potion?" Harry queried, seeing the professor had just begun to brew the potion for the wizard's measles, which he knew was going to take several hours.

"Could you help with the ingredients first and brew the other potion later on?" Severus suggested.

Harry immediately set to work on preparing ingredients first.

ハリーと幸せの願い

At five o'clock in the morning, Harry tiredly collapsed into his bed, only to be woken up by his alarm little more than an hour later. '_Oh, right, I have to attend breakfast and drink something, and then I must flash Dad Godric back to the past_,' he remembered immediately in spite of being extremely tired.

"Leo, are you awake?" he heard Godric ask, and quickly scrambled out of bed.

"Yes, Dad," he replied quietly, before he hurriedly took a shower and dressed in time to follow his father, who seemed too energetic for Harry's liking, to the Great Hall.

Knowing that he only had to drink, and not eat in order to take the immunization potion, Harry didn't even bother eating, but made sure to drink three glasses of pumpkin juice, ignoring his friends' concerned looks.

"I might be missing classes this morning. I spent the whole night brewing with Professor Snape," Harry whispered to Blaise. "First, I have to take my father back to the past though, before I go take a nap."

"All right, in case someone asks I'll tell those who may know. By the way, do you know where Hermione is? Normally, she is one of the first ones here."

"I have no idea," Harry replied in surprise, worriedly skimming the Gryffindor table. "Let's just hope she didn't catch the wizard's measles."

A few minutes later, breakfast ended and Harry walked up to the Head table, where Godric was just saying 'Good bye' to his colleagues. Seeing that all of the students had left the Hall, Godric turned to him.

"Are you ready, Leo?" he queried, causing Harry to give him a short nod and transfigure into his phoenix form.

"Harry, wait!" Madam Pomfrey suddenly said, quickly approaching the boy. "You can't flash right now. You have to get a good night's sleep before you flash." She gripped his shoulder, only noticing too late that she held on to a bunch of feathers and felt herself being whisked away in a splash of sand.

Harry arrived in his own room and immediately transformed back into his human form, groggily collapsing on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Poppy and Godric asked simultaneously, crouching in front of Harry.

"What date is it?" the boy queried, pointing to his calendar.

"September 1st, 1595," Godric read, horrified.

"Oh no!" Harry groaned. "I'm sorry. Madam Pomfrey, how did you end up here?"

"I tried to stop you from flashing, knowing you were too tired, but you were too fast and took me with you. I'm sorry for adding additional weight."

"It's all right. I am sorry for not noticing you earlier. 1595; we don't know anyone here," Harry said thoughtfully. "So we can't leave my room. I'm sorry, but I have to get some sleep before I can try to flash us again."

"Of course; go to bed, Leo," Godric replied, causing Harry to scramble into bed.

"What happened exactly?" the Founder turned to the Mediwitch. "Is Harry sick? Normally, he only flashes to the wrong time if he's sick."

"No, he is all right, but he and Severus were up all night last night brewing potions for the wizard's measles as well as the preventative potion. He was too tired to flash, and because of that and the additional weight I unintentionally caused, he ended up bringing us to the wrong time," Poppy explained as she gently tucked Harry in.

"Madam Pomfrey," Harry asked softly, "you don't have by chance a headache potion with you, do you?"

"No, I'm sorry, Harry. I merely intended to attend breakfast," the Healer replied regrettably and threw the student a piercing look, noticing that he seemed to be in a great amount of pain.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I have to brew one. I'll just head out into Dad Salazar's quarters. The people, who're there, must be his children, so if I explain about myself..."

"No Leo, you don't know what kind of people our many times great grand children are, even if they're your many times great grandparents. If they kill you before you're able to explain anything, Poppy and I will be stuck in this time forever. Try to sleep; maybe you'll feel better afterwards."

"I can't."

"I could place a sleeping charm on you," Poppy offered gently, and Harry was just about to agree when Godric spoke up.

"I know where we might be able to gain information on the relatives of this time, although I'm not sure if he'll be around at this time." Godric sighed and called his familiar. "Fawkes!"

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you for your kind reviews that encouraged me to write on quickly! Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	36. OWLs

**36 – OWLs**

With a flash of fire Fawkes appeared in Harry's room, causing Harry and Godric to sigh in relief. Godric quickly explained what had happened and asked for his familiar's advice.

#Oh, that's very difficult. The Headmaster in this time is an absolute git, so you better not enter the former Gryffindor, now Potter quarters. The Slytherin quarters are all right, because no one is living there anymore.#

"Are you the Headmaster's familiar, Fawkes?"

#No, of course not. After being your familiar and that of your nestling Lily, I returned to the land of the phoenixes for a few egg turns. I'll only come back to Hogwarts to become the familiar of Albus Dumbledore, a few hundred years into the future, with the exception of checking in on the castle from time to time.#

"Thank you, Fawkes; I'll see you again in the future," Godric replied gratefully.

"Thank you, Fawkes," Harry echoed, sitting up.

"I will brew the headache potion for you," Poppy said sternly, pushing him back. "I'll be back shortly."

"Let me accompany you just in case," Godric offered and hesitantly opened the door to Salazar's and Helga's quarters.

Harry finally drifted into a restless slumber, only able to relax when he felt his headache recede an hour later as Poppy spelled the freshly brewed potion into his system. A few hours later, he woke up, feeling completely refreshed.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. I'm ready to leave now. Shall I flash both of you to the past, or do you want me to take you back to the future first, Madam Pomfrey?"

"If it's not too strenuous for you to flash two people at once, I'd love to accompany you to the past. I'm very eager to get to know Helga Hufflepuff as well as the other Founders, of course that is if I am welcome to accompany you," Poppy replied thoughtfully, throwing Godric a hesitant glance.

"Of course, you're very welcome to join us in my time."

"Great; please grab my tail feathers," Harry said and transformed into his phoenix form.

This time, he managed to flash them to the first of September, 995.

"Well done, Leo," Godric commended him. "It's time for breakfast. Let's head to the Great Hall."

"Here, Harry." Poppy handed him a small phial with a light green liquid, which Harry recognized as a headache potion.

"Thank you so much, Madam Pomfrey," he said gratefully, quickly gulping down the cool liquid.

Only Rowena, Helga, Salazar, Godiva, and Harry's younger siblings were eating breakfast in the Great Hall. '_Oh right, the students won't return until tonight_,' Harry mused as he allowed his parents and his girlfriend to pull him into bear hugs. In the meantime, Godric introduced Poppy to his colleagues.

"I am so happy you could come and visit us here," Godiva said gently. She liked the future's Mediwitch a lot.

"It was only an accident, although I was already planning to ask Harry to bring me back with him sometime," Poppy confessed and explained how she had ended up flashing with Godric and Harry, causing Helga to throw Harry a glare that made him cringe.

Knowing that even if Godiva had seen Harry the previous evening, right before he flashed to the future, Harry himself hadn't seen his girlfriend for a few months, Helga gave her student assistant the day off, and Poppy immediately offered to help with the last preparations that were needed for the new school year.

"Thank you so much, Mum Helga, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said gratefully and turned to his girlfriend. "What would you like to do, beautiful?"

Godiva remained pensive for a short while, before he hesitantly replied, "It's such a wonderful autumn day. I'd love to go horseback-riding if you don't mind."

Harry agreed immediately. They asked the house-elves for a picnic lunch and spent the whole day riding over the beautiful early autumn landscape. While they sat on the shore of a small lake eating their lunch, Harry told Godiva everything that had happened in the future since the beginning of his fifth year.

"Oh, that was brilliant," Godiva cheered as he told her about how the castle had handled Umbridge and Fudge. "I just love this castle. I hope I'll always be able to live in it."

"We will," Harry replied, giving her a loving smile. "At least, I intend for us to."

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry slid into bed that night, he mused, '_What am I going to do now? I only intended to bring Dad Godric back, but since I brought Madam Pomfrey here, she'll want to stay for a while. On the other hand, I'll be happy to spend some time with Godiva, although she'll be very busy now in her fifth year with her additional tasks in the hospital room, but on the other hand, I'd like to continue my studies for the OWLs and get them over with, so I can concentrate on my Potions Mastery_.'

Feeling too tired to make a decision he resolved that he would ask Poppy how long she wanted to stay in the past first. '_I could just flash a few weeks into the future to pick her up_,' he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

"Harry, I don't mind returning to the future right away," Poppy replied gently. "I enjoyed my day with Helga immensely, and I'd like to ask you to bring me here again, for example over the summer holidays, but when we left, I was just in the middle of dealing with the beginning of a wizard's measles epidemic, and I'd like to get that over with before getting too much of a distance away from the problem. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand completely, and I can bring you back here with me next summer," Harry promised.

"Harry, I just need you to do me a favour, before we leave," Poppy told him in an apologizing tone, causing Harry to throw her a curious look.

"I believe it would be good if you could brew the potion for the measles and the immunization potion. I don't think any of us caught the measles, but theoretically you, your father, or I could have brought it here, and it's contagious even before you know you're ill."

Harry did as he was told and afterwards took a short nap until dinner, which he ate together with Godiva at the Ravenclaw table. Finally, he motioned Poppy to follow him into his room, from where he flashed them back to the first of November, 1995.

'_Thank God, I managed to arrive at the right date and even just about the time we left_,' he realized, glancing at his calendar.

The Mediwitch thanked him profusely and hurried to the hospital wing that was full with sick students. Glad that Madam Pomfrey had excused him from his morning classes before their trip to the past, so he had some free time for himself, Harry took a short nap, before he headed to the Great Hall in time for lunch, horrified to see the Gryffindor table was completely empty.

"The whole House is quarantined because of the outbreak of the wizard's measles. Although most of the magically raised students can't get it, because normally magical parents have their kids immunized against it when they're small, they could still give it to others. Nearly all of the Muggle raised students in Gryffindor have taken ill. I don't envy Madam Pomfrey looking after so many patients," McGonagall explained with a sad expression on her face.

"Oh no! How can she handle that alone? Professor, I'll go and fetch Mum Helga and Godiva so they can help her."

"Are you sure, Harry, they won't mind?"

"Of course not; I'll be back shortly," Harry replied and hurried back into his room. '_It wouldn't be nice to pull Godiva out of her studies for her OWLs; maybe I better flash to the beginning of the summer holidays next year_,' he mused, before he transformed and flashed away.

To his surprise, Helga and Godiva were already waiting for him in his room. Seeing his astonished look, Helga smirked. "You already told us about this operation at Christmas, Leofost."

"I see," Harry said and gulped down the headache potion his mother held out for him, surprised that she didn't insist he took a nap before flashing back. '_Well, better to get over this as soon as possible_,' he mused, concentrating hard on the proper date and flashed his mother and his girlfriend to the future.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next few days, Harry hardly saw Godiva, since Helga, Poppy, and their apprentice were extremely busy looking after forty sick students.

"Thank God they're only in Gryffindor and in the hospital wing," Godiva told Harry one evening after Helga had dismissed her for the night and ordered her to rest. "And Poppy said if anyone else caught it before the immunization potion was administered, they'd get ill by tomorrow at the latest. So we probably we already got the epidemic under control."

"That's good," Harry replied, smiling, as he laid his arm around the girl's back and tiredly rested his head on her shoulder.

Godiva frowned, noticing that he radiated an abnormal heat. Gently laying a hand on his forehead, she told him, "I'm afraid you're getting sick too. Lie down on your bed and let me check on you please."

Feeling too tired to protest, Harry obeyed and observed the professional manner in which Godiva performed her diagnostic spells in amazement.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have caught the wizard's measles. I'll go and fetch your potions. Do you want me to get your Mum for you?"

"No, don't go. Just stay with me and let me sleep. I'll be fine," Harry mumbled, reaching for her cool hand.

Sighing, Godiva sat on the edge of his bed and wiped his flushed face with a cloth after casting a cooling charm on it, watching as her boyfriend slowly drifted off to sleep. Only then, she went to the hospital wing to fetch his mother to confirm her diagnosis and spell the necessary potions into his system, a spell she wasn't allowed to perform yet.

During the next two weeks, Harry was very ill, but he didn't really mind, because he slept through most of the day, and every time he was awake for a short while, either Godiva or his mother was sitting on the edge of his bed, trying to make him feel better. Only in his third week of being sick Harry felt much better and could really enjoy having his girlfriend and his mother with him. Fortunately, by then the first students that had become ill had already recovered, so Helga and Godiva had time enough to take turns keeping Harry company.

Afraid to aggravate her son's condition by making him flash with two passengers so soon after his recovery and eager to learn more about Healing in the future, Helga decided to remain in the future with Godiva until the beginning of the Christmas holidays a month later.

On the first day of the holidays, Harry flashed the two witches back to their summer holidays, before he flashed six months back in time to have Christmas together with his family, remembering to advise Helga and Godiva to be ready for a six-week visit to the future at the beginning of the summer holidays. '_They have to wait in my room and make me flash back immediately. If I go look for them just a few days before coming down with the wizard's measles, they'll have an epidemic here too_.'

ハリーと幸せの願い

The next few months flew by. The fifth years were busy studying for their OWLs, and Harry even put the studies for his Potions Mastery on ice, eager to get through his exams with the best scores that he possibly could. '_I still have the whole summer holidays for my Potions studies, and if I'm not ready then I can just take the Mastery exam next year_,' he decided, and Minerva and Severus, with whom he spoke to about his decision, agreed immediately, encouraging him to concentrate on his OWLs.

'_That was really easy_,' Harry mused on the last day of the OWLs. '_Somehow, I had imagined the OWLs to be much more difficult than in the past, but in fact they weren't. Thank God. Now I can really concentrate on the Potions Mastery_.'

After the Leaving Feast, Harry was just packing his trunk for the summer holidays, pondering when he should buy the books for the coming school year, when Minerva entered his room.

"Harry, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something to speak with you about. In fact, I'd like to suggest something to you, but I can only do that after receiving the results of your OWLs, which will probably be at the end of July. Do you think you could flash back on your birthday instead of the beginning of the new school year?"

Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he replied, "Of course, Minerva. I have to study for my Potions Mastery, and if possible I'd like to take the exam this summer. Afterwards, I can come back here. Would you mind if I brought Godiva with me?"

"Of course not, Harry," Minerva said softly. "Are you going to take Madam Pomfrey with you tomorrow?"

"Oh right, I nearly forgot. Oh well, then I'll have to bring her back at the end of July anyway. She'll have to prepare everything for the new school year. Maybe Godiva can help her."

"That's a good idea, Harry," Minerva said warmly. "Madam Pomfrey spoke of her in the highest regards when she came to help with the epidemic last year."

'_It would be great if she could work here together with Madam Pomfrey after taking her NEWTs. Otherwise, I'd have to live in the past with her, considering that Mum Helga already promised to keep her at Hogwarts as a Mediwitch_,' he mused as he finished his packing.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry spent the whole summer studying for his Potions Mastery, glad that Salazar had enough time to devote to teaching or supervising him. However, just like in the previous years, his parents made sure Harry didn't study the whole day and took enough time to play with his siblings or spend undisturbed hours with Godiva, who had remained at Hogwarts to officially begin her apprenticeship in the hospital room.

During the last week of August, the Potions Mastery was to take place. Harry had five theoretical tests in the mornings, followed by five practical tests in the afternoons.

"A Potions Master from the Ministry is going to come to Hogwarts on Monday morning, and he'll stay until Friday afternoon, Thunderbolt. I have been approved as a second witness in spite of being your father," Salazar explained. "I'm sure you'll do fine," he reassured Harry, calmingly placing both hands on his shoulders.

"I hope so, Dad. Thank you," Harry replied, feeling slightly consoled, knowing that his father would never say such a thing if he didn't believe it.

However, the first day of his exams to him was a disaster, so Harry was not looking forward to what the rest of what his testing week might possibly bring.

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews! Please excuse the delay in posting this chapter, but I've been very ill during the last few weeks. I hope to be able to post the next chapters in my normal pace again._

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	37. The Potions Mastery

**37 – The Potions Mastery**

The examiner from the Ministry, whom Harry disliked on the first glance, was a half dwarf named Professor McKenzie. He had to be around one hundred years old, had an unsympathetic face, and a high, childish voice, which reminded Harry strangely of Professor Flitwick.

"Harry Potter, sixteen years old," Professor McKenzie read with an expression of disbelief planted on his face. "You believe you're able to become a Potions Master?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied firmly, turning his eyes to his father, who sat next to the professor staring in front of himself with an unreadable expression. '_This man obviously hates me already. I wonder why?_' he mused as he prepared himself to fight for his mastery.

Without any other introduction, the man began with the theoretical test, which to Harry's surprise was an oral test. Too busy to even glance at his father once during the morning session, Harry was unaware of the anger appearing on Salazar's face as the examiner continued to quiz Harry without a minute break for more than two hours. He didn't even comment on his replies or commend the boy for a brilliant answer.

'_Oh no!_' Harry thought. '_This is much more difficult than I had ever expected. I'm not sure about that question. Maybe I got that one wrong_,' he thought as the professor continued on to the next question without pause.

After four hours of questioning Harry, the examiner rose from his seat. "Dismissed. Your practical exam will commence in exactly one hour." With that the man left the room.

Harry put both arms on the desk in front of him, laying his head down in absolute exhaustion. "I failed, didn't I, Dad?" he breathed.

"Thunderbolt, you were fantastic," Salazar replied, gently laying both hands on Harry's shoulders. "Everything you said was absolutely correct. Now let's go home. Come on, Thunderbolt. You need to eat something, and I'll give you a Pepperup potion, so you'll be fit to begin again in an hour."

Harry wearily followed his father into their quarters, glad that no one else was in the living room except for his mother, who had obviously been waiting for him. Merely eating a few bites of his lunch, Harry downed three glasses of pumpkin juice, noticing that the permanent answering of questions had made him very thirsty. Half heartedly listening as his father angrily explained how the examiner had conducted the test, he let himself sink into Helga's arms, tiredly closing his eyes.

A very short while later, his mother gently woke him up. "Wake up, Leofost. It's time for your next exam," she softly whispered into his ear.

"Ah, all right," Harry replied, thinking, '_Oh well, at least I'll be able to brew on my own without that man's input_.'

"Mr. Potter, you will brew the potion for dragon's pertussis," the examiner greeted him.

'_All right; that I know_,' Harry mused, quickly assembling the ingredients in his head before he went to gather everything he needed. The dragon's pertussis was an extremely dangerous and contagious magical illness, causing its victim to cough up green flames accompanied by breathing problems and a high fever. The potion was the only one to cure the illness and in turn changed the actual illness in a manner that would no longer be infectious.

Knowing the brewing would take nearly four hours, Harry instantly set to work, trying to ignore the examiner's sharp eyes that were trained on him continuously throughout the setup and brewing. Fortunately, due to the short nap in his mother's arms and the Pepperup potion his father had made him drink right before the test, Harry felt extremely alert and was fully able to concentrate on the task ahead.

Three hours and forty-five minutes later, he placed a phial with the dark green potion on the examiner's desk, relieved to know that he had managed to brew the potion flawlessly.

As soon as Harry had placed the phial on the desk, however, the tiny man jumped from the pile of books he used to be able to look over the table, making Harry jump backwards in surprise at the sudden movement. Unfortunately, he stumbled against his cauldron that tilted, causing the remaining potion to leak all over his hands and arms as he tried to keep the cauldron from falling off the table.

Looking up to throw his father a terrified look, Harry noticed that the examiner left the room with a contented smirk on his face.

Salazar waved his wand, banishing the remainders of the potion from Harry's hands and arms, giving him a sharp look. "Thunderbolt, you should have known better than being so careless. You know what might happen since you were exposed to the potion without reason?"

"Yes, of course I know, I can catch the dragon's pertussis," Harry replied in a small voice, "and knowing that I usually catch everything around me, I'll more than likely get it. Do you know how long the incubation time is?"

"We will have to ask your mother," Salazar replied after pondering the matter for a moment while he filled the remaining potion from the cauldron into small phials. "At least this will still work as antidote," he mumbled, pocketing the phials, before he cleaned Harry's workspace with a flick of his wand. "Let's go home. We need to speak with your mother, and I'm going to make a trip to the Ministry to discuss the examiner's behaviour."

"It's all right, Dad. I managed to do my exam today, and I'll be able to keep up with him during the next four days. I'd just like to know why he hates me so much," Harry replied sadly.

"I hope you'll be able to attend the rest of your exams at all," Salazar mumbled as he strode ahead into their quarters, suddenly turning around to face Harry. "The reason, and the sole reason, for his obvious dislike towards you is your age. In his opinion you're still a child and not able to become a Potions Master."

The following day passed in the same manner as the day before. Harry managed to answer all the questions and brew a flawless potion. His parents and Madam Pomfrey had made him wear invisible safety gloves, covering his hands and arms, just to be on the safe side. Salazar had spoken with the Ministry, only to hear that no other examiner was available at the moment.

Everyone was observing Harry in concern, knowing that he'd probably come down with the dragon's pertussis since he seemed to catch every illness he was exposed to.

"I have no idea why his immune system is so weak. We raised him in a normal, healthy way, he received the same immunizations as all our children, and he doesn't have any allergies so far that we know of," Helga sighed as she had tea together with Poppy and Godiva in Salazar's and her quarters, while they were waiting for Harry to return from his second day of testing.

"I'm not sure of course, but could it have something to do with his flashing through time every now and then?" Poppy queried thoughtfully. "The flashing seems to take a lot of physical and magical energy out of him, and considering that he needs a headache potion each time he flashes his body doesn't seem to take it well."

"That could be the reason indeed," Helga replied, alarmed. "It couldn't be helped, because even if we knew definitely that it was the reason, he'd still want to flash between here and the future, but it would at least be a plausible reason for the problems with his immune system.

"I'll speak with Severus about the matter. Maybe he or Salazar can invent a potion for Harry to help with his problems," Poppy suggested, just when Salazar and Harry entered the room.

"Such a git," Harry growled with gritted teeth as he let himself sink on the sofa next to his mother in exhaustion.

"Thunderbolt did very well though. So far, he has brewed everything correctly, and his answers to all of the questions have been perfect," Salazar explained, seeing that everyone was watching his son in concern.

"Oh no," Helga groaned when Harry let out a few harsh coughs. "Are you getting sick, Leofost?"

"I don't know, but I don't feel so good," Harry replied, turning his eyes to his mother. "May I go and lie down for a while?"

"Of course," Helga replied worriedly, throwing Poppy, who had just waved her wand over Harry, a questioning look.

"Yes, it's the dragon pertussis," Poppy confirmed, handing Helga a small phial.

ハリーと幸せの願い

By the time Harry had to get up for the third test day, he was already spiking a high fever and had a terrible cough. However, when his mother tried to make him stay in bed, he put up a huge fight.

"No Mum, I'm going to show this git that he can't easily manoeuvre me out of the exam. I will continue with the test until it's finished," Harry said firmly, coughing up a few green flames. "Everyone here in the castle has been taking the antidote, so they'll all be all right, and I don't care if the git gets the dragon pertussis from me. It's his fault anyway."

"That's true," Salazar agreed, and knowing that her husband was with her son the whole time, Helga grudgingly allowed Harry to attend his exam.

Unfortunately, Professor McKenzie was very displeased to have a coughing and obviously sick student in his presence and behaved even worse than he had during the first two days. A few times, Harry wasn't able to reply to a question immediately due to a coughing fit, but the professor didn't wait until he finished coughing but marked the question with zero points and proceeded to the next question without giving Harry a chance to reply.

"Thunderbolt, don't fret about that. The Ministry will be informed about it, and I'm sure they're going to include my notes into the final grading. Just lie down and rest, so you'll be as fit as possible for the practical test this afternoon."

Harry struggled through Wednesday and Thursday. He felt absolutely horrible but was determined to get through the exams instead of postponing them. However, on Friday morning, his condition had worsened so much that Helga and Poppy both declared him unfit to attend the exam.

Harry just turned to the wall and silently began to cry, feeling too bad to even protest.

"What's wrong?" suddenly Salazar's voice filled the room. "I have pleasant news."

Harry turned around, blearily looking at his father, who continued happily, "Professor McKenzie has come down with the dragon pertussis and is unable to come to Hogwarts today. Therefore, I have been appointed as the examiner, and you, Helga, as our Healer, have been approved as second witness to the exam."

"Salazar, Harry is too ill to take the test today," Helga filled him in quietly.

"Ah, nonsense. Give him the strongest fever reducer you have, and he'll manage. We can do the theoretical test here if you want, so Thunderbolt doesn't even have to get up."

Helga grudgingly agreed, and Salazar conducted the last theoretical part of the exam in a much more slowly and reasonable way than the other examiner had done earlier. For the afternoon test, he chose the wolfscure potion, knowing that Harry could brew it in his sleep.

ハリーと幸せの願い

'_Thank God it's over_,' Harry mused when he was back in his bed after brewing the wolfscure potion. He felt very grateful towards his father, who had made the last test day extremely easy for him. '_At least compared to the other git_,' he thought.

"Congratulations, Thunderbolt," Salazar told him, entering the room. "You did extremely well in all parts of your exam. I just returned from delivering the results from today to the Ministry, and they assured me we'd have the final results by the end of next week."

"End of next week? But the first of September is on Monday," Harry replied in confusion.

"Well, yes, but you don't think you'll be allowed to flash in your condition, do you? You're going to have to stay in bed for at least a week, and then you'll stay here for another week to rest and regain your strength, and only when your mother and Poppy are sure you're well enough to flash will you be allowed to leave."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Helga and Poppy had used the quiet of the summer holidays to teach each other and Godiva Healing spells, charms, and practices that were unknown in the time of the Founders or lost in the future. During the week Harry was stuck in bed, the three of them took turns staying with him, trying to ease his symptoms to make him more comfortable.

'_It's great if Godiva studies both, Healing of this time and of the future_,' Harry mused, knowing from his own experience that his girlfriend would make a brilliant Mediwitch once she finished her studies.

It was nearly three weeks into the school year, when Harry was finally allowed to flash back to the future. He gathered Poppy and Godiva in his room early in the morning, trying to concentrate on the morning of his birthday in the future. '_I wonder what Minerva wants from me_,' he mused but vehemently pushed the thought away to concentrate on arriving at the correct time with his passengers.

"Harry, thank you so much for taking me to the past with you," Poppy said gratefully, handing Harry his headache potion as he confirmed with a glance at his calendar that they had arrived at the correct time.

"You're welcome. My mother was very pleased to have you there," Harry replied, smiling at his girlfriend as he gently patted Löwi's head.

"Harry, stay here and rest for a moment," Poppy instructed him, motioning Godiva to remain with her boyfriend. "I'm going to find Minerva and ask her where she wants to speak with you."

Harry threw the Mediwitch a confused look but nodded, knowing that his mother had asked Poppy and Godiva to make sure he rested as much as possible. '_I know that I only just overcame a dangerous illness, but they're really too overprotective_,' he mused as he gently took Godiva into his arms, carefully moving his hands over the soft curves of her body.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Minerva wouldn't make you come back earlier from your holidays to give you bad news. It'll be something good, I'm sure," she said softly, before she leaned over and pulled him into a long kiss.

They only parted when the door opened and Poppy re-entered the room, unable to hide a small smile. "I'm sorry to disturb you; however, your presence is required in the Great Hall."

"All right," Harry replied and stood up, pulling Godiva with him down to the Great Hall. He hesitantly opened the door, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw the Hall was beautifully decorated for a birthday party, just like he had already had in the past nearly two months earlier.

"I thought Minerva wanted to speak with me. Don't tell me we only came back for a birthday party," he said in confusion, throwing Poppy a questioning look.

"No, I know by chance what Minerva wants to discuss with you, and I believe she wanted to combine your talk with a birthday party. She'll probably take you aside soon to discuss what it is she has in mind," Poppy reassured him, smiling as she gently pushed Harry and Godiva in the room, where not only the teachers, but also Harry's friends were waiting for them.

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews that encouraged me to continue with this story so fast._

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	38. Changing Sides

**38 – Changing Sides**

Godiva pulled Harry over to the table, where the teachers and his friends were already waiting for them, motioning him to take the seat next to Minerva, before she sat down at his other side.

As soon as Madam Pomfrey had taken the last empty seat, Minerva rose, gently tapping her spoon against her glass.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm glad that all of you could accept my invitation to come to Hogwarts in the middle of the summer holidays. This party is only partly what you think it is. As you all know, today is Harry's sixteenth birthday. However, there is something else, which makes this party even more special than it was to be."

Seeing that everyone with the exception of Poppy, Godiva and Severus had curiously trained their eyes on her, she continued, smiling, "This summer, Harry took his Potions Mastery exam, which he passed with the highest possible grade that can be received for the exam." With that, she handed a totally perplex Harry an official looking certificate that Harry recognized immediately as one that was awarded during his parents' time period.

"But... why?" he stammered, incredulously.

Minerva threw him a comforting smile and explained, "Madam Pomfrey told me when she handed me the document, Harry fell ill with the dragon pertussis during his exams, and during the last few weeks he was so sick that he even forgot to enquire about the test results. Well, Harry, I'm glad that gives me the chance to be the first to congratulate you. Well done, my boy."

With that the whole Great Hall erupted in applause, while Harry threw menacing glares at Poppy and Godiva.

"Was that what you were going to speak with me about?" he whispered to Minerva, suddenly remembering why he had returned for his birthday.

"No Harry," Minerva laughed. "You know the Weasley twins quite well, don't you?"

"Yes, oh right, do you know if they managed to open the joke shop they wanted?" Harry asked, suddenly getting excited as he noticed the twins' absence.

"Yes, they managed to open a shop in Diagon Alley, and apparently you're their largest investor," Minerva smirked, causing Harry to throw her a horrified glance.

"I'm not. I don't have anything to do with it. I merely gave them some start up money so they'd able to open the shop in the first place, but no one was supposed to know about it," Harry whispered in an upset tone.

"Well, you can speak with them tonight. They promised to come to Hogwarts to arrange for special fireworks display this evening to go along with your birthday celebration." Minerva sighed, apparently remembering why she had brought up the twins in the first place.

"Well, their father, Mr. Arthur Weasley, is the new Minister of Magic. He is also a good friend of Professor Dumbledore, who can't be here today because he has urgent work to do at the Ministry, and I know him and his wife very well too. Anyway, I hope you won't be angry at me, but I took the liberty of showing Mr. Weasley the certificates for your OWLs and NEWTs, which you took in the past, and he issued a confirmation that fully accepts your NEWTs in this time. This means that you don't have to take the NEWTs again in this time."

'_I don't have to take my NEWTs? So that means I've already finished my schooling here at Hogwarts? But what am I going to do now that I have finished?_' Harry's thoughts were going haywire, and he looked at the Deputy Headmistress in utmost confusion.

"You may of course take the NEWTs again, if you insist on doing so; however, I'd like to suggest something else," Minerva continued, smiling at his puzzled expression. "Together with Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley I arranged for a new subject to be a facultative subject for students in third year and up, the subject of '_Ancient Magic_.' So far, we haven't yet openly announced this new subject, because we had to know if you were willing to accept becoming the Ancient Magic professor first, since no one except for you is qualified to teach the subject. That's why I needed you to come back by today so that I could offer you the position."

Harry remained pensive for a few minutes, only vaguely registering that the group around him sang the birthday song for him, and that Godiva distributed his birthday cake on his behalf. '_She wants me to change to the teachers' side immediately, but will I be able to teach? The seventh-years are older than I. And what would I teach the students? We do not have just one subject in the past, even though we have just as many classes some of the classes that we had are not offered anymore. On the other hand, if I accept, then I can remain at Hogwarts forever, and Godiva can stay with me as Poppy's assistant, provided she's willing to move to the future_.'

Absentmindedly chasing a small piece of cake around his plate, he considered how to reply to Minerva. "I don't know if I'll be able to teach; on the other hand I'd love to," he finally said, causing the older woman to sigh in obvious relief.

"Harry, you will definitely be able to teach, and we're all here to help you. Of course we can't assist you content-wise, but we might be able to advise you or listen to you if you're uncertain. I know that it must be very difficult to set up a lesson plan, because you have to combine all the different subjects you learned in the past to just one subject, but we, especially Severus and I, will be here to help you."

Harry sighed, slightly relieved by the professor's kind words, although he still felt very uncertain about the matter. "This is so sudden," he whispered thoughtfully.

Minerva calmingly laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Harry. Perhaps I should have chosen a better time to ask you, but you don't have to give me your reply now. You may take as much time as you need to think about it."

"Thank you, Minerva. I'll think about it, although I'm quite sure I'll somehow work this out. Anyway, thank you very much for your kind offer; I really appreciate it," Harry replied, and a small smile played on his lips as he turned to Godiva. "What do you think about me doing this?" he queried in a small voice.

"I think it's a brilliant idea and a formidable offer, Harry. You should accept the position," his girlfriend replied enthusiastically.

Harry spent the whole day discussing the offer with his friends, who all tried to talk him into accepting. However, he still felt uncertain, and while he observed the beautiful fireworks the twins shot up over the lake that evening, he decided to flash home and discuss the matter with his parents.

"I'm going home for a short while, but I'll be back when you wake up in the morning," he told Godiva on the way back to his room, causing the girl to throw him a menacing glare.

"No, Harry, you won't go back right now. You already flashed Poppy and me here today, remember? You can go tomorrow morning and be back before anyone notices, but I want you to sleep for a few hours first."

"Well, you're probably right," Harry sighed in slight disappointment, feeling a little confused how Godiva could speak in that tone to him. '_Ah, all right, that's probably a Mediwitch thing. They all speak in such a determined voice, but I'm her boyfriend, not a patient_,' he mused as he obediently went to bed, setting his alarm clock for five o'clock in the morning. '_Otherwise you wouldn't have listened, and she knows that_,' a small voice in the back of his head spoke up, causing him to drift off to sleep with a small smile on his lips at the thought of his girlfriend.

ハリーと幸せの願い

He flashed to the evening of the same day he had left earlier and was lucky to find his parents sitting all together in Rowena's and Godric's quarters.

"Leofost!" Helga was the first to notice him. "Are you already back?"

Harry sighed. "Yes, I need to speak with you about something, with all of you in fact." He told them about Minerva's offer, causing the four Founders to remain thoughtful for a moment.

Salazar spoke up first. "Thunderbolt, if you're not sure if you'll be able to teach the students, you shouldn't accept the position. If you don't believe in yourself, your students, who might be up to two years older than you, definitely won't."

"That's what I feared, Dad," Harry mumbled in a small voice, causing Godric to angrily slap his fist onto the table.

"Such a bull.... Leo, Salazar doesn't want you to give up; he wants you to be more self-confident. Who is the youngest Potions Master of all times? Who took his OWLs as an eleven-year old, hmm?"

Harry sighed as he gratefully took the small phial his mother handed him and downed the headache potion. "Dad Godric, that's not the point. The sixth-years are mostly my age, and the seventh-years are older than me. How do you expect them to respect me and do as I say?"

"There's no need to get upset, Leofost," Helga threw in gently. "They won't respect or disrespect you because of your age but because of your knowledge. You're their professor. You know the things, which they want to learn. I assume the subject will be facultative anyway, won't it?"

"I didn't ask Minerva, but I'd think so," Harry admitted.

"If they don't behave, you can always assign detention. I believe you shouldn't dwell on the fact that your students might be older or still know you as a student. You should use the time until the beginning of the school year to plan the contents of the course. If you have your lesson plan done, you'll feel much more confident, Lufu. I suggest you remain here for a week and let us help you put a lesson plan together. Back in the future, you should still discuss the plan with Minerva and Severus or the Headmaster, since they know more about what is being taught in the future than we do," Rowena said firmly.

"We're very proud of you, Thunderbolt, and if anyone gives you a hard time in terms of 'no one can travel into the past,' then fetch me and I'll give them a hard time."

"Thank you, Dad Salazar," Harry chuckled, feeling much more reassured by his parents' kind words. 'They're right; I'll manage to teach. I just have to plan everything carefully. Dad Salazar is right though. I should take him and Mum Rowena into the future at some point, especially Mum Rowena so she can talk to Helena to solve their lingering problems. Maybe I can even take her to a different time for that purpose.'

"Leofost, I think it's time to go to bed," Helga said gently, causing Harry to jerk back to reality.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something. I'm not tired. It was five o'clock in the morning when I came here. I'll go to my room and begin to make some notes for my lesson plans, which we can use as base for our discussion tomorrow."

Harry spent the night setting up a detailed plan. '_I'll suggest three hours of class from the third year onwards_,' he mused. '_We'll have one hour of Transfiguration and one hour of Charms and Spells class. In the third period I can teach the younger kids horseback riding and the older students from sixth year onwards sword fighting_.'

"What about Healing and Potions?" Helga queried when Harry presented the plan to his parents in the morning.

"Hmmm," Harry replied pensively. "I'm not sure how much it would help the students to know Ancient Healing if they aren't even able to magically take another person's temperature. They don't learn modern Healing at all, so I think it wouldn't make much sense to teach them Ancient Healing. Concerning Potions, I'll have to speak with Severus, but if he is up for it maybe I could offer a class on Ancient Potions for his NEWT class."

"Well, you could write a book about Ancient Potions containing potions recipes that were lost over the years," Salazar suggested. "Feel free to edit any of my books, translate them into modern English and publish them under your name."

Harry vehemently shook his head. "I might actually translate your recipes in order to help people like Severus and I were able to cure the werewolves, but I will not publish them under my name but under yours, maybe with a subtitle stating, '_Edited or translation by Harry Potter'_, that's all."

"Now, Lufu, that sounds all very good," Rowena threw in, "and as much as I'd love to keep you here for another week, I suggest you return to the future and begin to teach as soon as possible. You'll feel better once you get started. I can't wait for you to come back and tell us every detail."

"You're right, Mum," Harry sighed. "I'll take a short nap, and then I'll be on my way. Unfortunately, I'll have to flash back to the day after my birthday, because I left Godiva in the future."

"Is that a problem, Lufu?" Rowena laughed. "Speak with her, but I don't think she will object to you flashing yourself or even both of you a few weeks into the future."

"Oh well, I think I'm just too tired to think at the moment. Good night, and I'll see you at Christmas if not even earlier."

Each of his parents and younger siblings pulled him into bear hugs, before Harry was finally allowed to retreat to his room, from where he flashed back into the future.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the next few days in the future, Harry discussed his lesson plans with Godiva, Minerva, Severus, Poppy and the Headmaster. The teachers were able to give him a few ideas, which Harry happily incorporated into his lesson plans, and Dumbledore agreed to all of his suggestions concerning the number of classes and the subject content for the respective years.

"How much time did you spend in the past since your birthday when Minerva informed you about the new course and job offer?" Severus drawled, raising an eyebrow at his now younger colleague.

"Um... I spent one evening and a night. Oh well, I stayed up the whole night because it was morning here," Harry admitted, causing the older teachers to sigh in exasperation.

"And you were worried about not being able to put a lesson plan together until the beginning of the school year?" Severus queried, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"No, I was concerned because at least the seventh-years will be older than me," Harry replied in a slightly upset voice. "By the way, I'd like to flash myself, or Godiva and me if she wants, three weeks into the future so I will not have to wait too long before I have to start teaching. Would that be all right for you?" he then asked, hesitantly glancing around.

"You're very welcome to do as you see fit, Harry. I suggest you return a week before the beginning of the new school year in order to prepare for your first classes and also to set up your classroom though," Minerva replied gently.

"I'd like to remain here, because I promised to help Poppy with the preparations for the school year," Godiva said, "but I don't mind you flashing. I understand only too well why you want to flash into the future."

Harry pulled his girlfriend into a bear hug, and only when she once more reassured him that he should flash, he transformed into his phoenix form and flashed three weeks into the future.

When Harry arrived in his room on the twenty-third of August, Löwi was waiting for him.

'Harry, get onto my back; I have to take you to see Minerva right away,' his familiar told him in an urgent voice.

Harry obeyed in surprise, before he thought back, 'Why? What's wrong? Shall I just flash to see Minerva?'

'Oh yes, that's even better. Go on.'

Harry sighed. He had only flashed himself three weeks into the future, but he felt a bit tired and slightly annoyed at the thought to be urgently needed. He quickly transformed back and flashed himself to Minerva's office, where the Deputy Headmistress was preparing timetables.

"Oh Harry, thank God you're here," the old professor greeted him in obvious relief. "You have to flash once more. Something horrible happened, and we need your help."

_

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_

tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I appreciate them very much!_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	39. Ancient Magic

**39 – Ancient Magic**

Throwing Minerva a terrified look, Harry replied, "I will do whatever I can to help, but please tell me exactly what happened and what it is you need me to do."

"Harry," Minerva sighed, "once a year you put the Charm on the castle and the grounds, so that nothing happens to the people who look at Amaterasu and in her eyes, don't you?"

"Yes, of course; I always do that on the first of September," Harry replied, alarmed. "What happened?"

"Professor Dumbledore went into the forest to visit Löwi and his family the other day, and Löwi saw the moment the Headmaster met Amaterasu's face in a small water pool and collapsed on the ground. No, he is not dead," she added at a glance in Harry's terrified face, "but he is petrified, probably because he didn't look at her directly but only saw her eyes in the pool of water. Fortunately, it was raining cats and dogs at that day; I remember that I scolded him for heading out into the forest on such a day, but he insisted he wanted to visit the griffins."

"Oh well, so I just have to go back and place the Charm on the school, the grounds and the forest. I have no idea why it has worn off so early though," Harry replied, feeling slightly relieved because he could easily help the Headmaster on one hand but worried about the Charm on the other hand.

"Maybe you didn't put as much magic into the Charm as you normally do," Minerva said softly. "However, you don't have to go back to the past. I'd rather want you to flash three months into the future. Pomona is just raising mandrakes, and in three months' time, they'll be ready to harvest them and make a potion from them..."

"Ah, the mandrake draught; I know that one," Harry replied in determination. "Very well then, tell me exactly where and when I'll get either the potion or the mandrakes, and I'll go there right away. After re-applying the Charm to the castle of course," he added as an afterthought.

"Let's say, flash to the first of December, and I'll have either the mandrake plants in your room or the potion, depending on whether Severus will have the time to brew it or not being so close to the end of the term." Minerva said thoughtfully.

"If he doesn't have the time, I'll brew it. That's no problem," Harry quickly reassured his colleague. "All right, I'll renew the Charm, and then I'll leave for the first of December. Perhaps Amaterasu has an idea as to why the Charm has worn off so early. Otherwise, I'd have to flash home and ask Salazar." With that Harry flashed back to his room, pondering if he should take a nap first. '_No, I have to get over that as soon as possible to ease my mind_,' he thought. '_Instead, I can take a Pepperup potion, so I'll be able to summon strong magic in spite of being tired_.'

He summoned as much magic as he could and spoke the incantation his father had taught him so many years ago, before he collapsed on his bed and slept for eight hours straight. '_I still have to find out why this happened_,' he remembered when awakened from the much needed nap, and, knowing that it didn't matter when he flashed to the first of December, he headed straight to the Chamber to speak with Amaterasu.

"Do you have any idea why this could happen?" he asked his large friend, who anxiously shook her head, keeping her large eyes tightly closed as she spoke with Harry.

"Pleassse Harry, do make sure it won't happen again. I don't want to kill the studentss or teachersss here. This is so horrible; I don't want to be a murderer."

"Don't worry, Amaterasu. You can open your eyes now. I already renewed the Charm. You're not a murderer. It's not your fault, and I'll speak with Dad Salazzzar as soon as I have the opportunity," Harry promised as he crouched next to the basilisk on the floor and gently caressed her face, making a mental note to talk about the matter when he flashed to the past to take Godiva home. Relieved that he had managed to reapply the Charm, before anyone else had been hurt, he returned to his room and flashed himself to the first of December.

A phial with the finished mandrake draught was sitting on his table. '_Thank God_,' Harry mused, mentally preparing himself to flash back right away. Concentrating on the day, from which he had just arrived, he flashed straight to the hospital wing and handed the phial to Madam Pomfrey, who pulled him in a bear hug as soon as he had transformed back.

"Thank you so much, Harry. I really appreciate being able to help the Headmaster three months earlier than I would have been normally been able to," she sighed in apparent relief.

"You're welcome," Harry replied and turned to his girlfriend, pulling her into a long kiss as the Mediwitch bustled away to administer the potion to the petrified Headmaster.

ハリーと幸せの願い

As soon as he was released from the hospital wing, Dumbledore called Harry into his office to discuss what he would need to teach his classes. "You need an office as well as a classroom that meets your needs. Shall I also arrange for teachers' quarters for you?" the Headmaster asked gently, but Harry gratefully declined.

"Thank you very much for the offer, Headmaster, but my parents' quarters are my home and I don't need anything else. It would be nice though if the entrances to my office and to the classroom would be near the rooms I already occupy."

"Of course, Harry. Why don't you just speak to the house-elves and give them detailed instructions? As the owner of Hogwarts you'll be able to give them orders as well as I am," Dumbledore said, and his eyes were twinkling with joy as he called, "Sunny!"

In the blink of an eye, a small elf popped up, bowing deeply. "Good morning, Masters Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Harry. What cans Sunny does for Masters?"

"Sunny, from today onwards, you will solely be responsible for Professor Potter. You'll be his personal house-elf," the Headmaster told the elf in a soft voice.

Harry observed in amazement how a huge smile spread over the young elf's face, and Sunny bowed deeply towards Harry.

"Just so you know, Sunny was your mother's and father's house elf until they died when she came here to work."

"Thank you very much, Headmaster. Hello Sunny, I'm glad to have you as my personal house-elf," Harry said gently. "Please do not bow in front of me. There is no need for that. I don't want you to call me 'Master' either. I'm Harry or in front of the students 'Professor Potter,' but not 'Master.' Do you understand me?"

Sunny hesitantly looked up into his face and the edges of her mouth pulled upwards again as she obviously relaxed at his kind expression. "Yes, err... Harry. I understands. You is very kind to Sunny, just like your mum and dad."

"Very well then, I'd like you to gather a few elves to help prepare my new classroom and my office. I'll go to my room and show you where I want to have the entrances in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Harry," Sunny replied and popped away.

"Now Harry, I know that you're still very young to take up a teacher's post," Dumbledore said slowly, "but I'm aware that you have the knowledge and the ability to fill the position. However, if you ever need help, feel free to come to see me at any time. I also wish you thank you profusely for your help. Poppy and Minerva told me that I'd still be petrified for three more months if it weren't for your assistance and unique abilities."

"No problem, sir, and thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to teach at Hogwarts, Headmaster," Harry replied gratefully. Even if he had his lesson plan worked out and not only his parents, but also Minerva and Severus had approved it, he still felt uncertain about teaching the students, especially the sixth and seventh years. "If that's all..."

"Yes, my boy, I believe the house-elves are waiting for you."

A few hours later, Harry's new office and classroom were made and prepared with the necessary furniture, and he pondered where he should begin to get them ready for the school year. '_Well, the classroom first_,' he decided and began by putting up four life-size pictures of his parents on the wall behind the teacher's desk.

One of the side walls was covered by one huge magical window showing the view on the Hogwarts grounds. '_I have to do something different with that_,' Harry mused and spent the next five hours on trying to arrange a new Charm. Only when Minerva entered the classroom, scolding him for missing lunch, he had just managed to properly complete the charms he wanted to apply to the window.

"What's that? Hogwarts of your parents' time?" Minerva queried, pointing at the charmed window with interest.

Harry chuckled. "Well, yes and no," he explained proudly. "In fact, the view alters between nowadays Hogwarts and that of exactly one thousand years in the past. It changes on an hourly basis, but it's a real time view, so if you wanted to watch me play Quidditch in the past, you could do so. You can also manually change the view by tapping your wand against the window."

"Harry, you're incredible," Minerva said, looking at the window in amazement. "I'll make sure to visit you here on Saturday mornings so we can watch the Quidditch matches together."

"Do you only want to watch those that Gryffindor won, or can you put up with a Slytherin win in the past?" Harry laughed. "I can still charm the window to show any other time by the way."

"Any other time? Well, your father was a good Quidditch player, too," Minerva said thoughtfully, "your birth father I mean of course."

Harry chuckled. "I heard that, but I have a better idea. The Gryffindor students would probably appreciate if they could see their Head of House play Quidditch."

"Don't you dare show them such a thing!" Minerva said sharply.

"Why not? Poppy told me that you were the best player they had," Harry replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, resolving to do some research concerning the exact dates of certain Quidditch matches in the past. '_At least I know whom to ask_,' he thought, chuckling inwardly.

After instructing him to not miss any more meals, Minerva realised that Harry still had a lot of work preparing his classroom and proceeded to help transfiguring tissues into items from the magical world nowadays, while Harry transfigured the equivalent objects from the time of the Founders.

"That should do, Harry, don't you think so?" Minerva finally said, glancing at her wrist watch. "It's time for dinner anyway."

"Thank you so much for your help," Harry replied gratefully, looking contentedly at the large shelf covering the wall opposite the window that held all the items they had just transfigured. "Please go ahead; I promise I'll be there in a few minutes."

As soon as the door closed behind Minerva, he grinned and conjured a photo frame right next to the door, before he fetched a few photos from his room that he had taken in the past with his magical camera. '_I'm sure the students will like these_,' he mused as he contentedly looked at the photos in the frame, showing Salazar and Severus in a mock duel, Rowena and Minerva happily drinking butterbeer together and Poppy and Helga simultaneously casting spells at a dummy that exploded into millions of pieces. '_Well, maybe they'll get a laugh out of this one too_,' he decided as he put a forth picture into the frame, showing Severus and himself running through the Great Hall as baboons, before Harry transformed into his phoenix form and Severus into a chameleon. Finally, they both transformed into their human forms for an instant, before the baboons were back again.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the next few days, Harry remained very busy preparing for his classes, especially as he wanted to spend his evenings with Godiva, who was equally busy helping Poppy with her preparations for the new school year.

"I'm still unsure about teaching the students," Harry admitted to his girlfriend in the afternoon of the first of September. "The youngest ones in my classes are third years, which means they're three years younger than I, and the oldest ones are a year older than I. Will they respect me at all?"

"Oh sweetie, of course they will. It doesn't have to do with your age, but with your knowledge. Don't worry about that again. Try to relax. Shall we go for a walk?"

"Oh right, that's a good idea. I wanted to check on the ponies anyway," Harry remembered, causing the girl to roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Try not to think about your work for the next three hours," she admonished him gently as she pulled him out of the room.

"That's difficult," Harry admitted in a small voice, "I'm very excited. I'm glad you're going to stay here for a few more weeks though; I wished you could just stay here forever."

Godiva laughed. "I'm glad you think so, and I'd love to do so too, but as you know I have to take my NEWTs..." She abruptly interrupted herself as Harry pulled her into a long kiss.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry and Godiva watched the Sorting ceremony from the Head table, unobtrusively holding hands under the table. When the Sorting was finished and Minerva took the seat between him and the Headmaster, Harry felt himself slowly relax, until Dumbledore rose from his seat and introduced him to the students as the professor for the new subject 'Ancient Magic.'

"Professor Potter's Animagus form is that of a sand phoenix, which enables him to flash through the sands of time. Although he was born in the year 1980, he grew up with the Founders of Hogwarts one thousand years in the past. Therefore, he is the only person in the world qualified to teach our new subject," Dumbledore explained, causing Harry to groan inwardly as several hundreds of eyes turned towards him and the Great Hall erupted in applause.

"Thank you," Harry said, glancing around the hall. "Since my subject is new, I still have to figure out how my lesson plans will work, and I need your help. If you have any ideas or questions, feel free to talk with me at any time. My classroom as well as my office is on the same corridor as the hospital wing. You just have to go a bit further down the hall to reach them. I'd also like the opportunity to introduce my girlfriend, Godiva O'Connor. She is Professor Hufflepuff's assistant in the past, and currently she is visiting us as Madam Pomfrey's assistant for a few months before she returns to assist Professor Hufflepuff and to pursue her own studies."

Godiva received a tremendous applause, and Harry felt her squeeze his hand under the table. '_Oh, that was a good way to divert the attention_,' he chuckled inwardly as the meal popped up on the tables.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Although Godiva suggested he should go to bed early, noticing that he was too excited to concentrate on anything except on the thought of if his classes would go well, Harry could hardly sleep that night. '_I shouldn't have agreed on Minerva's plan. I should have asked her to wait until after my NEWTs_,' he mused as he finally drifted off to sleep when the first rays of the early morning sun began to rise over the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

However, as soon as the fourth year students came into the classroom, looking around in amazement and beginning to laugh at the pictures of their Heads of House together with the Founders, Harry slowly began to relax.

He shortly explained his lesson plan to the students, before he curiously looked around. "Do you have any questions, before I give you a short introduction in the history of the time of the Founders?" he asked gently.

The students had many questions, mainly resolving about Harry's ability of flashing through the time, and as much as their queries annoyed Harry, he knew that he had to get through it once with each class to satisfy the students curiosity enough to be able to gain their attention to other things in their next class meeting. Fortunately, this plan worked out with all of his classes, and the students were eager to learn whatever he was ready to teach them. Harry quickly became used to being a teacher, and he enjoyed himself very much.

By the time Godiva asked Harry to take her home at the end of October, Harry felt comfortable enough to tell his parents that he loved being a teacher and allowing the students of the future to learn about the things that had been taught at Hogwarts since its conception.

"I'm very proud of you, Lufu," Rowena reassured him as she pulled him in a bear hug. "There is nothing I could imagine that I would have preferred you to do in the future. Thank you, Harry, for accepting the post Minerva offered you, and please tell her how grateful I am."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Back in the future, Harry missed Godiva incredibly. During the three months his girlfriend had stayed in the future, Harry had become used to spending the evenings with her, and all of a sudden, he felt very alone in his quarters. His friends still joined him from time to time; however, since they were busy with homework, while he merely had to grade homework, of which he didn't give out much, they couldn't spend as much time together as they had during previous years.

One evening, Harry invited his colleagues into his classroom after charming the magical window to a time Poppy had told him he could expect an interesting Quidditch match teachers versus students in her own time as a student at Hogwarts.

Harry and his colleagues watched the game playing outside the window in amazement.

_Minerva played Seeker against Albus Dumbledore as the teachers' Seeker. After a while of playing in a snowstorm, she apparently saw the Snitch and pulled in a huge dive only to draw back up right before crashing into the ground. Albus, who followed her in a faint attempt to be faster, missed the time to pull up safely and transformed into his phoenix Animagus form, taking to the air mere seconds before he would have crashed into the ground._

_An instant later, the match was over as Minerva caught the Snitch, and Albus stepped over to the girl, beginning to scold her for endangering both of them._

"_I'm sorry, Professor. How was I to know that you were following me instead of the Snitch," Minerva replied shortly, before she transformed into a cat and dashed away._

"That was hilarious," Severus chuckled. "If I may request something..."

During the following weeks, the teachers made a habit of gathering in the Ancient Magic classroom to watch former Quidditch matches every Friday night after curfew. It was during the last week before the beginning of the winter holidays, when Harry brought the window back to its original state and retired to his room, not knowing that he'd spend the next few nights following a train thought he just wasn't easily able to shrug off.

_

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tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I appreciate them very much!_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	40. Ideas

**40 – Ideas**

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**AN: _Thank you for your kind comments for the chapter 40 I posted earlier! I have decided to re-write the chapter and leave Lily and James off. Instead, I'm going to put them into a small side story "Saving Lily"._**

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By the time Harry flashed home for the winter holidays, the thought of Amaterasu and the spell that had failed was at the front of his mind.

"Dad, the spell simply failed, although it was still a month before the year was over. Do you know why?" he asked his father, before he even took the time to greet his mothers and siblings.

Salazar threw his son a thoughtful look. "Harry, when do you normally renew the spell on Amaterasu? Do you have a fixed date, so you remember exactly when to renew it?"

Harry had to try hard to keep himself from rolling his eyes in annoyance. '_Does he think I'm stupid? I'm not that badly organised,_' he mused and replied, "Of course, Dad. I always do it on the first of September, right after going back to the future. Do you think this is a joke?" he queried when Salazar began to chuckle. "Dumbledore was petrified you know."

"Yes, Thunderbolt, I know, and I'm glad that you managed to save him..."

"I didn't save him; Professors Sprout and Snape did; I merely flashed into the future to get the cure for Dumbledore," Harry interrupted him impatiently.

"Yes, Thunderbolt; you said that; I'm merely laughing because the solution is so easy. You have to focus all your magic into the spell to have it work for a year. If you cast the spell immediately after flashing back one thousand years into the future, your magic is too weak to sustain the intent of the spell for a full year, especially if you flash with a passenger, which you did last year, when you took Dad Godric with you."

"Oh," Harry commented unintelligently.

"Cast the spell on the second of September after getting a good night's sleep, and you'll be all right."

"Okay. Oh well, since I'm a teacher now, I suppose I have to be back a week before the beginning of the school year anyway, so I can still cast it on the first of September, but, all right, I got the point. Thank you, Dad Salazar."

"You're welcome, Thunderbolt," Salazar replied, ruffling Harry's hair. "I'm glad nothing bad happened. Nevertheless, Amaterasu must have been devastated. She's such a cutie."

"She was devastated. I felt so bad for her, especially as none of it was her fault. I'll go and apologize to her again as soon as I'm back."

ハリーと幸せの願い

After his conversation with Salazar Harry felt more reassured and went to visit Amaterasu and speak with her straight after returning to the future on the last day of the winter holidays.

"Hello Amaterasu. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sssorry becausse of not being more careful. It wasss my fault that the spell failed, becausse I didn't put enough magic in it."

"It'sss all right, Harry. I'm grateful that you cassst the spell at all," Amaterasu hissed back gently.

"I will alwaysss cast the spell, and I promissse to be more careful the next time."

ハリーと幸せの願い

On a Sunday evening at the end of May, Minerva, Harry and Severus had tea in Helga's and Salazar's living room. "Ahhh, that was a long day," Harry sighed, stretching his arms and legs after a day of brewing.

"Yes, but we're nearly there. We need another small variation, and then we can begin running tests using rats," Severus said with a contented expression.

"May I ask what you're experimenting?" Minerva asked curiously.

"We're trying to invent a potion for the students, who have grown up in a Muggle environment and are not used to magical illnesses. The potion will prevent them from catching diseases like the wizard's flu as soon as they are exposed to the germs here at Hogwarts," Severus explained tiredly.

"Of course it won't make them immune forever or something like that," Harry added; "it'll just help them over the first few weeks. We know from Poppy's experience that these students often miss one of the first weeks of classes because they come down with the wizard's flu or the wizard's measles or something like that."

"That's true. The two of you are just amazing," Minerva said softly, "especially if you work together. I'm really glad that your relationship changed for the better; it would be such a waste if you were working against each other."

Harry chuckled, while Severus rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Don't remind us of that," he growled, smirking. "By the way, Harry, would you perhaps be willing to take me with you to the past over the summer holidays?" he suddenly queried, before he turned back to Minerva. "Or did you want to accompany Harry?"

"I'd love to go, but I can wait until the Christmas holidays or next summer," Minerva replied. "I can understand that it's much more important for you to go and share your knowledge with Salazar, while I'd only go for fun."

"I can take both of you with me," Harry replied, smiling. "We should leave on the second day of the holidays though, because I have an errand to run before that." Seeing the two adults throw him curious looks, he explained, "I have to go to the past, oh well, to the summer 981, right before my first Hogwarts year. I remember that I was sick and my older self came and flashed me here right in time for the Sorting. He told me that he had just finished his first year teaching, so this should be the right time to go and fetch him."

He sighed, absently playing with his spoon, before he continued thoughtfully, "I also have to arrange for his first year books and everything he needs and put the items into his room in 1981, and I need to take him to the Dursleys to put a spell on them, which we actually did at that time." 'Thank God the spell seems to have worked perfectly; I never had any problems because of that, and even Dumbledore believed that I'd stayed with the Dursleys,' he mused.

"Oh my," Minerva sighed, throwing Harry a concerned look. "That sounds like a very busy day. Harry, we can leave a week later if necessary."

"It'll be all right," Severus threw in, smirking; "Harry, we know that you can manage that, but don't forget to take enough breaks before flashing forth and back in time, so that we don't have to worry."

"Of course," Harry replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry, Minerva and Severus remained the whole summer holidays in the past. Severus, Harry and Salazar spent a lot of time in Salazar's lab inventing new potions together, while Minerva was often together with Rowena and Godric to exchange ancient and new Charms and Transfiguration spells.

Since Helga insisted that he had to go out into the fresh air for a few hours every day, Harry often went horse riding along the countryside with Godiva, whenever the girl could escape from Helga. Knowing that it was the last summer before she was going to take her NEWTs and finish her apprenticeship, the Healer tried to teach her apprentice as much as possible during the holidays.

"Thunderbolt, you need to set up a waiting list," Salazar told Harry one day towards the end of the holidays. "I am the next to be taken to the future. Everyone has been there at least once, except for me."

"My little snakes would love to meet you," Severus said eagerly, glancing at Harry.

"Oh well, I don't mind leaving you here this time and taking Dad with me instead," Harry teased his colleague, smirking at the menacing glare he received in return, before he promised to take Salazar with him after Christmas. "You're not the last though, Dad Salazar. Mum Rowena hasn't been to the future either," he said thoughtfully.

On the last day of the summer holidays, Harry flashed Minerva, Severus and himself back to the future, planning on arriving exactly a week before the beginning of the new school year. However, somehow distracted by one of his small siblings, he didn't concentrate enough and arrived five days later than planned.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized as soon as he looked at the calendar, knowing that Severus needed at least a week to brew all the potions requested for the hospital wing. "Severus, I'll help you brewing. Let's begin right away."

"Don't you have to prepare your own classes, Harry?"

"No, I can use the plan I made last year," Harry replied as he headed to the Potions lab.

The two Potions Masters spent the next thirty hours brewing half a dozen potions at once. Only in time for the last staff meeting before the beginning of the school year that took place in the early afternoon of the first of September, Harry and Severus had finished the most urgently needed potions.

"We have to attend the staff meeting. We can continue brewing tonight," Severus stated as he waved his wand to extinguish the flames under all cauldrons simultaneously.

'_I need to get some sleep in order to be refreshed enough to put the spell on the castle and the grounds for Amaterasu_,' Harry mused and decided to go back in time after the staff meeting to properly rest. However, as soon as he made himself as comfortable as possible in the staff room, he drifted off to sleep.

"Harry!" Minerva's voice suddenly pulled him out of his dream.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry apologized, fiercely rubbing his eyes. '_That was Amaterasu_,' he mused. '_I really have to go and see her. She is worried about the spell wearing off._'

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Minerva asked in concern, giving him a sharp look.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm going to get some sleep right after the meeting," Harry whispered back, resolving to flash back at least eight hours.

Harry tried hard to stay awake and listen to the Headmaster's explanations; however, he couldn't help his thoughts wander off, into a different direction this time. When Dumbledore finished his monologue, he proceeded to fill his colleagues in about his newest idea of forming a teachers' Quidditch team.

"That's a brilliant idea, Harry," Minerva said warmly, "provided that you're willing to play Seeker."

Ten minutes later, they had formed their team with Severus and Sirius as Beaters, Remus as Keeper, Minerva, Poppy and Rolanda as Chasers and Harry as Seeker and team captain.

"I'll act as referee for the games," Dumbledore chuckled. "When do you want to practise, by the way?"

"Monday is probably the best, because the students are tired from their weekend escapades," Severus informed them, smirking. "Monday night is always the quietest."

Knowing that Severus often roamed the corridors and caught many students in the halls after curfew, everyone agreed to practise every Monday night after curfew.

Rolanda promised to change the schedule for the matches accordingly, so the teachers' team could play against each of the Houses during the school year, even if the teachers wouldn't compete for the House Cup, but merely play against the House teams for fun.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the school year, Harry enjoyed himself immensely. Over all his years as a student, he had regretted not to be able to belong to a House team, even if he had been allowed to jump in here and there from time to time; now he was part of a team for the first time in his life, and he loved playing Quidditch on a regular basis. Moreover, the teachers' team was extremely good. In the first year of its existence, the team managed to win all four matches against the students.

Harry also liked teaching the students, and the students loved his classes, because Harry was strict but still always kind to everyone and used to keep his classes interesting.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Over the last couple of weeks before the end of the school year, Harry was very much engrossed in his own thoughts and secret preparations. He spent several hours discussing with Poppy, Minerva, Severus and Albus in private and finally flashed back into the past without taking anyone with him right after the Leaving Feast. '_I should arrive a few hours before the Leaving Feast in the past, so I can speak with my parents in private_,' he mused as he concentrated on flashing.

One thousand years in the past, the Hogwarts students assembled in the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast. Headmaster Gryffindor had just finished a small speech and invited them to enjoy the meal when a huge balloon appeared at the ceiling, causing the students, who had never before seen such an object, let alone at Hogwarts, to let out a series of gasps.

The Great Hall turned completely silent as the large, rainbow coloured balloon slowly swept down under hundreds of watchful eyes. By the time it had crossed half of the distance between the ceiling and the floor, it began to send out colourful sparkles that spread over the whole Hall and formed into words, which stuck themselves to the walls.

'_Congratulations to your NEWTs_,' was written on the wall next to the Gryffindor table. The letters over the doors towards the entrance hall formed into the words, '_I love you_.' The text on the wall behind the Slytherin table asked, '_Will you marry me?_' and the sparkling letters over the Head table invited, '_Will you come to the future with me?_'

Finally, Harry jumped through a hardly visible opening at one side of the balloon and came to stand right in front of the Ravenclaw table, only to realise that Godiva was absent. '_She is not here!_' his mind screamed, and Harry had the impression as if his heart suddenly stopped beating due to the disappointment that hit him like a thunder.

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tbc…

_****__****__Please note that this chapter is unbetaed. I'm posting it as it is to get it to you as fast as possible. Thank you again for your support and understanding! You're wonderful readers!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	41. Wedding in the Past

**41 – Wedding in the Past**

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**_AN: Please read my new version of chapter 40 first if you haven't already done so - thank you!_**

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'_Oh no; where is Godiva?_' Harry mused, unable to hide his frustration at the thought that his girlfriend has missed his not very romantic but instead original proposal. However, all of a sudden, a loud, "Yes!" sounded through the Great Hall, and Harry turned around in surprise, seeing Godiva sit between his mother Helga and his own, empty seat at the Head table.

"I love you too," she whispered into his ear as he sat down next to her and lightly hugged her, aware of the fact that several hundred pairs of eyes were watching them.

Godiva, however, decided that the audience didn't matter and pulled him into a long kiss, causing the Great Hall to erupt in applause.

"Congratulation, Lufu," Rowena whispered from Harry's other side, pulling Harry close as soon as Godiva let go. "I'm very happy for you."

Harry and Godiva spent most part of the summer holidays in the past. They visited her mother as well as her Hogwarts friends and explained that Godiva was going to live in the future, but that everyone would be able to contact her through the professors at Hogwarts, because they were going to come back to the past over the summer and winter holidays every year.

Godiva's mother had tears in her eyes when she said, "I'm very happy for you, Godiva, and if you come to see me twice a year even more so. However, I have one request to the two of you."

"Anything," Harry replied, curiously glancing at the witch.

"What is it, Mum?" Godiva queried, unconsciously playing with the ring at her hand.

"Please hold your wedding here in our time. I wouldn't want to miss it."

"Of course we'll do that," Godiva reassured her quickly. "We can ask Professor Gryffindor to wed us, can't we?"

"Of course," Harry said, smiling and promised, "We will also have a wedding party in the future, but if you don't mind travelling with me, I'll take you there."

ハリーと幸せの願い

When Harry flashed them back to the future at the beginning of August, he noticed in surprise that most of his friends were obviously spending the holidays at the castle. "Excuse me, but what are you doing here?" he asked in confusion as he saw them sit at the dinner table.

"Well, Harry, we have a surprise for you," Minerva replied, smiling, and gently explained that Hermione was the new teacher for Charms, Blaise the professor for History of Magic, Luna the Head of Ravenclaw and Astrology teacher and Neville the Hufflepuff Head and Herbology teacher.

"Oh, did Pomona and Filius retire?" Harry asked, astonished but very happy at the news that his friends were going to remain at Hogwarts. "And Draco? What happened to him?"

"He is working as an Auror at the Ministry," Severus filled him in quietly.

"Harry, we wanted to tell you all of this before you left for the past, but you were so busy and preoccupied with your plans for Godiva, that we decided to wait until now," Minerva explained gently.

"Seeing that you brought Godiva with you, I take it that she agreed to your proposal?" Poppy enquired, glancing from Harry to Godiva, who looked very happy.

"Yes," Godiva replied, smiling. "Poppy, Harry told me that you suggested for me to become your assistant, and if that's really all right with you, I'll happily accept the position."

"Of course, I'm glad to have you at my side," Poppy replied gently.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Probably because she had already spent many weeks in the future to assist Poppy before, Godiva became soon used to living in the future. She moved into Helga's and Salazar's quarters together with Harry. The young couple decided to continue using Harry's room, leaving Helga's and Salazar's bedroom for when the Founders came to visit them.

A few days before the beginning of the winter holidays, Harry and Godiva were having tea together with their colleagues in their quarters like they used to do every evening after curfew. Harry watched his beautiful fiancé in amazement, when a sudden thought struck his mind.

"Godiva, if we want our wedding to take place next summer, we should begin to make plans, so we can discuss everything with your mother and my parents when we go home next week," he spoke up, smiling.

"You're going to hold your wedding in the past?" Luna queried in apparent disappointment, causing Harry to chuckle.

"You can either come to the past with us or sit in my classroom and watch," he replied, grinning.

"How romantic," Blaise sneered, "watching your wedding in your classroom."

Harry glanced around at Hermione, Luna, Minerva, Poppy, Blaise, Neville and Severus. '_I want all of them to be there for my wedding_,' he thought, suddenly having the impression as if a lump was stuck in his throat. He cleared his throat and said, "If you don't mind coming with us, I'd love to have all of you with me." Seeing his friends throw him incredulous looks, he explained, "Of course we don't have a group Portkey, but I can flash you. I can flash two at a time and once a day, but I can make you arrive all at the same time."

"No sweetie, you'll only flash one at a time and that not more than twice a week," Poppy objected sternly, causing Godiva to take her side immediately.

"Exactly, because I don't want you to sleep through our wedding."

Harry rolled his eyes but promised to listen to them, and they decided to hold the wedding on the seventh of July, because that would give Harry enough time to flash everyone back and forth in time during the holidays.

"7.7.999, what an amazing wedding date," Hermione spoke up thoughtfully, causing everyone to laugh.

"Godiva, what are weddings like in your time? Do you need a best man like you do here, or...?" Luna queried, dreamily playing with Neville's fingers.

"Hmmm, I don't know what that exactly means, but a far as I know you normally have the bride's father accompany her, and the groom needs his mother." She turned to Severus with a solemn expression. "Severus, I'd like to ask you if you'd be willing to take me instead. I neither have a father nor an uncle, and my friends are too young."

The Potions Master threw the girl a horrified look, but before he could voice that he wasn't capable of such a task, Poppy said soothingly, "Of course Severus will guide you, won't you, Severus?"

Severus hesitantly agreed, and everyone chuckled when they heard Minerva mumble something about transfiguring his clothing into something more colourful.

"Have you already decided what you're going to do for your honeymoon?" Luna asked curiously.

"We haven't even thought about it," Harry admitted, looking questioningly at Godiva, who threw him a confused look that caused Harry to explain the meaning to her.

"Oh, that sounds good," Godiva finally said, smiling. "We'll think about it."

"I have an idea," Severus spoke up hesitantly, "but I'll tell you in private later on. It's a place I visited once together with your mother and your grandparents."

Harry gave the man a questioning look but nodded, seeing that he obviously didn't want to speak about the matter in front of their colleagues.

ハリーと幸せの願い

With the planning for their wedding in the past and their additional party in the future and with Salazar spending several months in the future, keeping Harry busy, the rest of the school year passed in a blur.

At the beginning of the summer holidays, Harry flashed Salazar back to the winter holidays in the past, before he began to take his friends to the fifth of July one thousand years back. Like Godiva and Poppy had instructed him, he flashed twice a week, only taking one passenger with him at each time. Finally, Harry and Godiva went back home on the first of July to make their final preparations for the wedding.

"I'm glad I don't have to flash anywhere now for two weeks," Harry sighed as he tiredly lay down on the sofa with his head on Godiva's lap.

"Really? I thought you were going to take me somewhere for a honeymoon?" Godiva queried, throwing Harry a surprised look.

"Oh right, I nearly forgot," Harry said, chuckling. He had agreed on Severus' suggestion after watching his colleague's memory in a Pensieve, but he hadn't told Godiva about the details yet. '_It's going to be a surprise_,' he thought, '_and I'm sure she'll like it_.'

Unfortunately, as nice as the recent summers had been, the weather in that year was absolutely horrible. It continued to rain cats and dogs every day. "What a pity. We wanted to have our wedding right next to the lake," Harry said in disappointment as he looked up from his breakfast to the charmed ceiling on the day before the wedding.

"Why don't you want to have your wedding ceremony here in the Great Hall, Leo?" Godric asked and waved his hand around the hall, causing twinkling red hearts and silver stars to cover the walls.

"Wow, that's amazing," Hermione gasped, looking around in awe.

"Because I like the lake and the grounds, yeah, the Hall too," he added on a sharp look from Rowena, "but I think it would be more romantic outside."

"Who is going to attend the wedding anyway?" Harry's twelve-year-old sister Lily threw in, throwing her mother a curious look.

"Well, Harry brought all his friends from the future, then there will be our family and that of Aunt Helga and Uncle Salazar, and," Rowena made a small pause and looked at Harry in expectation, "our parents will come and attend the wedding as well."

"Godric and Salazar, are you sure you'll manage to properly wed them?" Helga threw in sternly.

"Of course," the two Founders assured her firmly, causing Harry to roll his eyes in anticipation.

ハリーと幸せの願い

In the morning of the big day, heavy rain poured against the charmed window, and the Great Hall was nearly dark under the sky that was covered by black clouds. However, after breakfast, Godric motioned the guests to head out onto the grounds, while Rowena, Helga and Poppy took Godiva with them to help her dress.

"Come on, Thunderbolt, I'm going to help you," Salazar told him and accompanied Harry to his room, where he helped him to dress in his own ancient wedding robes.

"These are from your wedding?" Harry queried, looking at the white robes with golden embroideries in amazement.

"Yes; my mother made them for me," Salazar explained.

"They are beautiful," Harry said as he admired himself in the mirror.

"You're making a handsome groom," the mirror commented, causing Harry to blush and quickly turn away.

"Thunderbolt, do you need a calming draught?" Salazar asked, glancing at his son.

"No thank you," Harry replied, sighing. "Do you think Godiva will be ready by now, Dad?" he asked quickly.

"No, I don't think so. The ladies always take hours," Salazar smirked. "Let's head out onto the grounds."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the thought of walking through the rain in his wonderful wedding robes; however, to his amazement, beautiful sunshine greeted them outside the castle.

"How..." he began in disbelief, causing Godric to chuckle.

"Your mother is a Charms Mistress for a reason, Leo. Today, we'll only have sunshine, provided we don't leave the Hogwarts grounds."

Harry turned around to search for his grandparents, who had taken him in so kindly four years ago, when he had ended up in the wrong time, and by the time Rowena and Helga stepped out of the castle, his robes were grey from all the hugs he received in the meantime.

"What have you been doing, Leofost?" Helga scolded him lightly, waving her wand at him to turn his robes white again.

"Err... nothing, thank you," Harry replied absentmindedly, unable to take his eyes off Godiva, who was just coming through the entrance doors, accompanied by Severus. She was dressed in white robes with laces and beautiful embroideries of flowers on the cloth. "She looks absolutely gorgeous," he breathed in amazement, just when Godric called everyone together to the part of the grounds that was equipped with chairs for everyone to sit.

'_I hope Dad Godric and Dad Salazar manage to do this without fighting_,' Harry mused as he walked up to the first row between Rowena and Helga, who led him to a seat in the first row, sitting down at his right side.

A few minutes later, Severus led Godiva to the chair next to Harry, before he took the seat to her left, next to her mother.

As soon as Godiva had taken her seat, Godric began with the ceremony. He and Salazar took turns recounting a few anecdotes about Harry's and Godiva's time at Hogwarts as students that made everyone listen with interest. Finally, Godric produced the rings out of his robe pocket and turned to Godiva.

"Ms. O'Connor, are you sure that you want to marry Harry Potter?"

"Think well," Salazar threw in, "if you anger him, he might use you as potions ingredients."

"Yes, I am sure," Godiva replied firmly.

"Harry, are you sure that you want to take Godiva O'Connor as your wife?" Godric queried. "She was one of my best students, and if you don't obey, she'll be well able to transfigure you into a baboon," he added, waving his hand at Salazar, who changed into a baboon on the spot.

"No," Harry replied, throwing his fathers an annoyed look. "Oh no, I mean yes, but don't do such things on my wedding," he said, before he pulled his wand, waving it at his father to transfigure him back. '_Well, at least everyone is having fun_,' he mused as he heard the guests laugh at his fathers' presentation.

Finally, Godric handed Godiva and Harry their rings and said, "Herewith I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss her now, Leo."

Under huge applause, Harry pulled Godiva into a long kiss, feeling happier than he had ever felt before in his life.

The two newlyweds spent the day talking to their guests, eating and opening presents. After dinner, Minerva pulled them aside and handed Harry a shrunken bag. "Here Harry; you find everything you'll need for your honeymoon in it. The hotel voucher is in the side pocket. Enjoy yourselves. We'll see you back here tomorrow."

"Maybe even tonight," Harry replied. "Thank you, Minerva." He turned to his wife. "Shall we go?"

"All right," Godiva replied smiling and grabbed his back feathers as soon as Harry transformed into his phoenix form. "Where are we going by the way?" she suddenly remembered to ask, but Harry already flashed away in a small wave of sand.

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tbc…

_****__Please note that this chapter is unbetaed. I'm posting it as it is to get it to you as fast as possible. Thank you again for your support and understanding! You're wonderful readers!_

_If you want Harry to save Lily, please have a look at my new side story "Saving Lily"._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	42. Small Surprises

**42 – Small Surprises**

Harry flashed back into his room at Hogwarts in the future. Quickly downing a headache potion, he looked at the calendar and chuckled. "Oh Godiva, look, today is our one thousandth anniversary." Before his wife could even think about a reply, he continued, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to be back in the future and a familiar place, before I flash us to a destination that I have never been to. Apart from that, it'll be winter where we're going, and I thought it might be wise to change our robes into warm Muggle clothes before we go."

"That was a good idea, Harry," Godiva agreed, giving Harry a sharp look. "Are you well enough to flash again so soon?"

"I'm not until you kiss me here in the future and then I will be," Harry replied, chuckling, and pulled his wife into a long kiss. "Of course we can flash right away. Are you ready?" Seeing Godiva nod, he transformed and concentrated on the information Severus had given him earlier.

"Wow," he heard Godiva exclaim in amazement as he changed back into his human form.

It was lightly snowing, and they were standing on a square in front of an enormous building with two tall towers. To their left, a few people were feverishly brushing off the snow from the ground, while others were finishing paintings on the parchment they had been working on, while groups of people had gathered around them and were watching their efforts. To their right side was what seemed to be a Christmas market with small wooden booths, and it was beautifully decorated with every kind of ornaments one could imagine.

"Oh Harry, this is amazing," Godiva breathed. "Where are we?"

Harry chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. We're in Cologne in Germany, and the huge building in front of us is the cathedral. Do you want to look at the Christmas market, or shall we check in to the hotel first?" He turned around, pointing at a building that seemed very small compared to the cathedral they had been looking at. "This must be the hotel."

"I'd love to see the market. The Christmas decorations are absolutely beautiful," Godiva replied as she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him with her.

The two newlyweds spent the following three days exploring the three Christmas markets of the city centre, the cathedral and the huge pedestrian area. Harry even managed to buy tickets for the Cologne philharmonics, an enormous concert hall that was situated between the cathedral and the river Rhine.

"Is it true that where we're sitting is below the level of the Rhine?" Godiva asked in disbelief, showing Harry a pamphlet she had received at the entrance.

"Yes, Severus told me about it," Harry replied, smiling at his wife's amazed and happy expression.

"Harry, music here in the future is absolutely wonderful," Godiva sighed contentedly as they returned to the cathedral. "I love this cathedral and all the decorations, it's just beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing me here."

"You have Severus to thank. I didn't know about this place. Now, from where do you want to flash back to Hogwarts?"

Godiva chuckled. "I get to choose? Hmm, that's difficult. Perhaps from inside the cathedral?" she suggested, causing Harry to nod.

"All right." Five minutes later, they stood next to the large nativity scene in the church, and Harry transformed and flashed them back to Hogwarts on their one thousandth anniversary.

ハリーと幸せの願い

Godiva and Harry spent the rest of the holidays in the past. Harry was very busy flashing all his colleagues back to the future, and just when he had returned Severus back, who was the one who stayed longest in the past in order to brew together with Salazar, Helga reminded him that he slowly had to begin flashing them into the future for their wedding party.

"Would it be possible," Harry began hesitantly, "to take Lily with me to the future? She's my favourite sister, and she is the oldest of all my siblings, and..." He slowly trailed off, throwing his parents an anxious glance.

"I don't mind you taking Lily with you, if you promise to flash her alone and bring her back the morning after your party," Rowena said quietly, knowing that her oldest daughter had been pleading with Harry to take her with him for ages.

"I promise, Mum," Harry replied, laughing when his sister pulled him in a bear hug.

They had decided to hold their wedding party on the first Saturday in September to give the students the opportunity to attend the party if they wanted to.

"Of course they will want to participate," Godiva chuckled when Harry explained the reason for the timing to his parents. "You're the favourite teacher of ninety-five percent of the girls and eighty-five percent of your male students."

"And you should know that best," Helga said knowingly, smiling as she patted the young woman's shoulder, "considering that the students will tell you things, which they won't admit to anyone else."

"So who is holding the other five and fifteen percent respectively?" Salazar queried, quirking an eyebrow.

Godiva chuckled. "Well, with the girls it's Severus and with the boys it's Luna."

"Well, Severus is handsome indeed," Helga mumbled, smirking at Salazar, before she added in a soft voice, "Here in this time it's you of course."

ハリーと幸せの願い

The wedding party in the future was as much fun as the ceremony in the past had been, although many of the students were disappointed to hear that the original ceremony had already taken place.

"Harry," Minerva approached him in the evening, "I promised the students they could watch the ceremony tomorrow morning in your classroom. Will you please be so kind as to charm the window accordingly?"

Harry groaned in annoyance but grudgingly agreed, before he informed his colleague, "In the morning, I have to flash my sister back to the past, and then Godiva and I are going to take her mother to London tomorrow for a sightseeing trip."

"That's a good idea, Harry," Minerva said warmly. "Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on the students while they are in your classroom."

ハリーと幸せの願い

Harry enjoyed the following months very much. Not only Godiva's mother, but also his own parents decided to spend a few weeks in the future and finally ended up remaining until the beginning of the winter holidays, from where Harry took them back to the summer of their wedding. Only with Lily Rowena had been adamant that Harry had to take her daughter back right after the wedding party, because at her age being a few months older than her classmates would be a big deal.

'_No one ever noticed that I was older because of spending weeks in the past and then in the future_,' Harry mused but didn't voice his thoughts and obliged.

After taking his parents and Godiva's mother back to the past, Harry flashed to his parents' time along with Godiva to spend Christmas with their families in the past. "My parents invited your mother to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas and she agreed," Harry informed his wife as they were getting ready to leave.

However, when Harry flashed them back on the last day of the holidays, their quarters seemed awfully quiet now that their parents were back in their own time after staying with them for more than three months. "As much as I enjoy having some private time just for ourselves, it's very quiet, isn't it?" he asked, pulling her close.

Godiva nestled deeper into his embrace and let out a small laugh. "Let me tell you something, Harry. The next six months will be the last bit of quiet time we get for many years." She gently reached for his hand and moved it until it came to rest on her stomach. "They seem to have a very strong magic. I'm only in my fifteenth week, but I can already feel them. Just leave your hand there for a while, and you might be able to feel them as well."

"Them?" Harry blurted out, only slowly understanding what his wife was telling him. "You're pregnant? With twins?"

"Yes Harry. I've known that I was pregnant for a few weeks. Poppy and Helga both noticed long before I realised it, and they have been checking on me once a week to make sure everything is progressing normally. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but I wanted to wait until I could feel the child, because I thought it would be a better surprise if you could sense it as well. They didn't tell me that it was twins though. They only said that I would be in for a surprise, but Poppy took an ultrasound this afternoon when we came back, and I saw that there were two small ones. I'll show you the photo Poppy gave me later."

"Uh, what are they doing?" Harry asked, terrified as he felt something like a huge wave run from the left to the right of Godiva's stomach.

"They're obviously having fun," Godiva replied, chuckling. "Their magic must be extremely strong; otherwise we wouldn't be able to feel them at all yet. Here, place your hand here; I think that's a foot."

"Do you know if they're girls or boys yet?" Harry asked, gently moving his hand over his wife's stomach in amazement.

"Poppy and Helga know, but I asked them not to tell me, because I thought they should tell us together," Godiva said softly as she slowly drifted off to sleep in Harry's arms.

ハリーと幸せの願い

During the following months, Harry accompanied Godiva to each of her check-ups with Poppy and watched in amazement how the twins developed. With a wave of her wand, Poppy connected Godiva to a magical ultrasound device with a huge monitor that displayed the babies without their surroundings.

"Look, they're both girls," Godiva pointed out excitedly. "The last time I couldn't see it clearly, but..." She slowly trailed off as she noticed Poppy's amused expression.

"Of course you couldn't because I charmed that part after you told me you didn't want to know," the Mediwitch explained, chuckling, before her expression became stern. "Godiva, I don't want you to use any magical transportation methods for the remainder of your pregnancy. Unfortunately, this also includes flashing. Your babies have such a strong magic that it might be dangerous for all four of you if you flashed together."

"All right; I won't flash them anywhere," Harry promised and quickly distracted his wife by pointing to the monitor. "Look, one of them has your brown hair and the other has black hair like me. By the way, have you thought about any names for our little princesses?"

Godiva shook her head. "Until today, I didn't even know if they were girls or boys. However, I thought we could name all our children after your parents. I'd name the one with the brown hair Helga, and the dark haired one Rowena."

"I'd love that," Harry breathed, totally overwhelmed by Godiva's suggestion. "However, shouldn't we name one of them after your mother?"

"No Harry. If we get a third girl sometime, we can still name her after Mum, but remember that your mother Rowena was my Head of House for seven years, and your mother Helga was my mentor over numerous years, so they're both very important people in my life as well."

"Thank you Godiva; this means a lot to me," Harry said gratefully, gently stroking his wife's stomach. "Hey Rowena, Helga, do you like your names?" Startled, he pulled his hand away when one of the babies kicked his hand in reply.

"Well, as I told you, they're extremely powerful," Poppy explained, laughing. "Godiva, everything seems to be all right with them." She pointed her wand to the monitor, and Harry observed in amazement as a colour photo emerged from the tip of her wand. Smiling, the Mediwitch handed Harry the photo.

"Thank you," he replied, looking happily at the photo of the two small babies that kept sucking their thumbs and kicking each other with their tiny feet.

ハリーと幸せの願い

It was on a Friday afternoon just a week before the beginning of the summer holidays when Löwi stormed into Harry's classroom shortly before the end of his last morning class. 'Harry, Poppy sent me to bring you to the hospital wing immediately. Godiva is going to have the twins,' he thought to Harry very excitedly, who quickly dismissed the class and stuck a parchment to the classroom door to cancel classes for the rest of the day. "Please tell them I'll be there as soon as I can," he instructed Löwi and transformed into his phoenix form. Concentrating on the past, he flashed into his own room and hurried to search for Helga.

"What's wrong, Leofost?" Helga queried in concern, noticing his tense expression.

"Godiva is in labour and about to have the babies, and I want you and her mother to come to the future," Harry quickly explained. "Can you fetch her mother or tell me where or how..."

"Calm down, Leofost. You're in the past and time doesn't matter," Helga said quietly. "I'll apparate to St. Mungo's and fetch her, if she wants to come. Stay here; I'll be back as soon as possible."

Harry paced the empty hospital room, waiting impatiently for his mother to return. Twenty minutes later, the two women were standing in front of him.

"Thank you so much for thinking of me and taking me to the future to be there when my grandbabies are born," Godiva's mother said gratefully.

"No problem," Harry replied and hurriedly transformed back into his phoenix form. As soon as he heard Helga's "All right," he concentrated on the correct time and flashed. When they arrived in the hospital wing and found their way into the small teachers' room where Godiva was waiting for him, he was rewarded by his wife's grateful expression.

"Thank you so much for fetching them," she whispered, "and you're just in time."

With the help of a few well placed spells from Poppy, the twins were born within minutes, and Harry looked happily at his little daughters when Poppy placed Rowena and Helga into his arms, while she and Helga looked after Godiva. "Look Rowena, this is your Granny Edina," he said softly, handing the dark haired baby to his mother-in-law.

ハリーと幸せの願い

A few hours later, when Godiva and the babies were fast asleep, Harry stood up and stepped in front of the window, startled when he saw Godiva's mother sitting near to the lake with her back leaned against his favourite tree. '_What is she doing there?_' he mused when he observed a tall black figure take a seat next to the woman and obviously pull her into a conversation. '_Now this is interesting_,' Harry thought and waved his wand to unobtrusively cast a spell that would allow him to listen in on the conversation that was taking place on the grounds.

"Now, there is no need to cry, Mrs. O'Connor," Severus just said in his soft, silky voice, gently wiping a few tears from the woman's face. "Please tell me what's wrong, and I'll try to help you."

'_Oh no, maybe I shouldn't have brought her here_,' Harry thought, terrified. 'I thought she would be happy to see her grandchildren.'

"Uahhh," a baby's wail brought him out of his reverie and he turned to the crib to pick his daughter up. "You just had dinner, didn't you Helga? Now, let's see what's wrong with your granny," he whispered soothingly and stepped back to the window, glad that the baby calmed down instantly after being held.

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tbc…

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews for this story, and also for the side story 'Saving Lily'. I appreciate them very much!_

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	43. A Happy Future

**Harry and the Founding of Happiness - by teddylonglong**

**43 – A Happy Future**

Edina O'Connor let out a long sigh, before she said in a small voice. "I'm very happy for Godiva and Harry. Don't misunderstand me, sir..."

"Severus," the professor interrupted her softly. "Please call me Severus."

"Thank you. I am Edina, by the way. Anyway, it's just so sad, knowing that they live one thousand years into the future and I can never just go visit them when I want to. There is no way to come here, except for when Harry comes and brings me here like he did today. I don't have anyone except for Godiva in the past, and now she's gone..." She slowly trailed off.

"Edina, I apologize in case I ask something too far-fetched," Severus said thoughtfully, "but wouldn't it be possible for you to remain here in this time, along with your daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren?"

'_Yay, go Severus, go_,' Harry thought, absently playing with his baby's tiny fingers.

"Just stay here?" the woman asked incredulously, throwing Severus a confused look. "But what will I do here? So far, I've been working at St. Mungo's as a Healer, but I won't be able to work here in this time, because I only have the knowledge of the practice in my own time. Godiva has been studying this time's Healing with Poppy for several summers."

Severus sighed. "First of all, you could just stay here at Hogwarts with your children. Godiva and Harry are both busy during the day, and although Godiva would be able to take the babies with her to her and Poppy's office and look after them, it would be a huge relief for her and Harry, if someone was there for them all the time. Moreover, if you were living here in the castle, I'm sure Poppy and Godiva wouldn't mind teaching you as well as learning from you in return. Many of the old practices have become lost over time, and I know for a fact that Poppy always enjoys having Helga here, because she is very interested in the old Healing methods, and not just the modern ones."

Edina sighed again. "This sounds very convincing; however, don't you think Harry would mind having his mother-in-law here all the time? Yes, it was him who fetched me, but he only wanted me to be here for the babies' birth."

"I have known Harry since he was eleven, and I've travelled to the past with him several times," Severus replied thoughtfully. "I know for a fact that for him family is more important than anything else. He'd love having you here."

'_Of course_,' Harry thought and quickly ended the spell when the conversation turned to other topics.

ハリーと幸せの願い

_**Epilogue**_

Godiva and Harry were indeed very happy to have Edina stay in the future, especially since they had three more children over the next six years, two boys, Godric and Salazar, and a little girl that they named after Godiva's mother.

When the twins were one year old, not only Neville and Luna as well as Hermione and Blaise became married, but to everyone's huge surprise a few days before the event Edina and Severus decided to make it a triple wedding and became a married couple as well.

Together with the Headmaster, Harry set up a playschool and later on a primary school for the many small children growing up at Hogwarts during the following years, and Edina became their teacher.

The Potters and the Snapes spent all of their summer and winter holidays in the past, and over the next few years, Severus, Harry and Salazar worked together inventing a potion based Portkey that was magically supporting Harry's flashing magic by his passengers' magic. With that Harry didn't have to flash back and forth several times to take his five children, his mother-in-law with her husband and their three children and his wife to the past and back. Everyone just gathered together and held hands, and Harry could easily flash them all without even transforming into his phoenix form.

By the time Godiva's and Harry's second son Godric finished his NEWTs, Headmaster Dumbledore decided it was time to retire at the ripe old age of two hundred, and Harry became the new Headmaster, knowing that his son Godric, who had spent two years in the past studying under his grandparents' eyes, would well be able to take over his position as professor for Ancient Studies. As Headmaster, Harry also invented four new positions at Hogwarts, which he filled with his other four children.

"Seeing that the four Heads of House have their own classes to teach and don't have much time for the students, from now on we're going to have House teachers for each House. They will be solely responsible for their wards' academic and personal issues," he explained to his colleagues and students, before he introduced his daughter Rowena as Ravenclaw House teacher, Helga for Slytherin, Salazar for Gryffindor and Edina for Hufflepuff, according to the Houses in which his children had been sorted by the Sorting Hat.

As Headmaster, Harry had enough spare time to write books with long lost potions recipes and translate some of his father's books from Parselscript into modern English.

ハリーと幸せの願い

The party for Harry's one hundredth birthday was the largest event the magical community of Britain had ever seen. His children and grandchildren spent many weeks planning the huge event and sent Harry into the past with a long list of people he had to bring to the future with him. At the same time, his old mentor and Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, sent out invitations to the contemporary magical world, and everyone, who was invited, happily accepted the invitation, glad to be able to meet the famous Harry Potter, who was well-known for being the first person receiving the Order of Merlin award three times. Once for vanquishing Voldemort, once for curing the werewolves along with Severus Snape, and a third time for his achievements in the area of Healing, because he presented the wizarding world with many old potions and potions recipes able to cure people that otherwise couldn't have been saved.

In the morning of the thirty-first of July, the four Founders cast a spell to magically enlarge the Great Hall to twice its normal size in order to accommodate all the visitors. Thousands of people gathered and waited for the Headmaster, but Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"We have no idea where our father has gone..."

"Perhaps he flashed to the past to fetch someone else and got lost in time," the twins, Helga and Rowena, who were always ready to entertain people with their jokes, announced to the guests, just when Harry flashed into the hall with a passenger in tow.

"I'm sorry for the delay," he apologized, "I just remembered another person, whom I didn't want to miss on this opportunity." Stepping over to his Deputy Headmistress, he introduced the two women, who looked like twins, to each other, "Minerva McGonagall."

Many hours and thousands of handshakes and presents later, when everyone but family returned home, Harry motioned Godiva into the Chamber to visit Amaterasu. "Let's have a few minutes of quiet time," he said and gently cuddled her under the basilisk's watchful eyes.

At the same time, Minerva McGonagall ushered her many times great grandmother as well as Harry's large family into the Ancient Magic classroom, setting the magical screen on the day before Christmas Eve in the year 982.

Everyone watched in amazement as the Founders rescued a small baby out of the snow into the castle and decided to keep the boy and raise him at Hogwarts. Harry and Godiva, who had just returned from their visit to Amaterasu, stood in the doorframe, smiling.

"That was the founding of our happiness," Harry whispered into his wife's ear, before he pulled her into a long kiss.

**The End**

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Thank you so much for your kind support throughout this story!

_Thanks to Mushcorn for her invaluable help, advice, and editing._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


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